Burning Raindrops
by FuziCloud
Summary: Natsume goes on a mission to retrieve a girl from the AAO called Mikan. During that time she saves his life twice. Now the mission is done and he can't stop thinking about her! -If its any good pls review and I'll continue. NatsuMikan Forever!
1. Chapter 1

**Burning Raindrops…**

**Disclaimer: **_No, me owning G.A is about as likely as me being part of it! So no I don't own it and never will! DX T_T_

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Normal POV<p>

He ran, sprinting and puffing, tripping on tree roots that poked up from the ground, Natsume's hand wrapped firmly around that of a brunette girl. He glanced behind him, and saw that the AAO was still chasing them persistently. Not only were the AAO all fully grown athletic adults, but they were all very accomplished Alice users.

'_Tch… just like them, hypocrites.' _The AAO, or the Anti Alice Organization, was a group of people against united against Gakuen Alice hoping to stop the academy's teachers schooling their students on how to use their Alices for corrupt purposes. What most people didn't know (including the AAO) was that group of students in Gakuen Alice called the Dangerous Abilities class, was in fact a collection of trained assassins working for the Government as body guards and personal security. Natsume was one of those assassins.

But today he had been sent to do something else, not killing anyone, not protecting some stuck up politician, but '_fetching a package' _as the higher ups had said.

'_Natsume, your mission is this, go to the AAOs Research Development Department and you will find a girl in one of the rooms. You must remove her from there and deliver her to us. Under stand this, Natsume. The girl must be alive, if she dies all is lost. You must bring her here alive or you will be punished, the same goes for each one of those brats that you stay with during school.''_

So here he was, dragging a frightened girl through a forest trying to escape the AAOs elite. He had one more use of the teleportation Alice stone around his neck and his fire Alice would be no use here, but the stone might break if he tried to use it for to long a distance. Suddenly the girl gasped and stopped, dragging him backwards and holding onto him.

'Wha-!' Natsume started to protest only to look at the ground three feet away from him and see it dropping sharply away. He had been about to walk off a cliff.

'_Shit that was too close.'_ He looked at the girl behind him. She looked worried that he might hit her for saving him.

'Hn.' He said without much expression, and if you've just met Natsume for the first time and he's not straight out ignoring you, that's pretty good.

'Tch.' they would have to use the Alice stone, even at this distance. He shut his eyes and just as they were about to be whipped away, he heard a large bang, but before he had time to think about it much more, he was standing in front of Gakuen Alice gates with the girl. He turned to look at her, and noticed she was staring wide eyed at him. From what he knew, she should have seen that done a million times over, so why did she look so shocked? He followed her eye line to the middle of his torso, when without warning the pain hit him hard, almost knocking him off his feet. The big noise he had heard as they teleported, it was gunfire, and it had hit him. He grabbed the girl and clasped a hand over his wound. Then he shouldered the iron gates of Gakuen Alice, and waited. Academy teachers appeared all around them and but only one walked to the gates and opened them. Perhaps it was his tall dark figure and white mask that made all of the other teachers stand back from him. But it was probably the fact that he had the 'Mark of Death' Alice. Persona. Natsume's most hated person.

'Natsume, this is the girl?' He said it in such a way that it was more like '_If she isn't the right one your dead.' _than anything else.

Natsume stayed silent, as was his usual answer, Persona continued.

'Well then. Natsume mission complete. You may go and address your wounds.' Natsume bowed his head and started to back away. But the girl walked up to him and closed her eyes, putting a hand on his shoulder. It was as if she was sucking the pain out of all of the wounds that he had gotten that day. The cuts and bruises healed at impossible rates and the gunshot wound ceased to hurt entirely within 1 minute.

The girl stepped back and held out a hand, she dropped a single bullet from it and turned and left with Persona. As she was walking away she turned and gave him the biggest smile that anyone had ever given him before, and best of all it was genuine, there was only one other person that ever really smiled at him, and even then he didn't think that it was ever quite like that.

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><p>Natsume sat in class. His head was in turmoil. As much as he wanted to say that the pretty (?) brunette that he had collected last night did not once cross his mind, he would be lying.<p>

She completely occupied it.

Every moment today he was contemplating not only why the academy would want a girl with such an ordinary Alice, and why the AAO would have her protected so well, but her appearance as well. Her golden brown, waist length hair and beautiful hazel eyes. It shocked him every time he caught himself thinking about her. Never before had he ever given a girl so much thought.

Natsume's best friend Ruka, noticed his friends far away expression, and questioned him.

'Hey Natsume, what are you so preoccupied with, your totally out of it. You have been all day, I've been trying to get through to you all day.' Ruka asked for the 10th time.

'Huh, oh sorry Ruka. What?'

Ruka sighed and repeated what he had been saying for the best bit of two hours.

'Oh.' Natsume surveyed Ruka slowly, giving the impression of a scientist looking at a subject. Ruka could tell that Natsume wasn't sure if he should tell him.

'A- a girl.' He finally said quietly. Ruka nearly fainted.

'Seriously, dude are you feeling ok?'

Natsume scowled, he new that he shouldn't have said that. He himself was not sure of his mental health.

'Fine and you will be too if you close your mouth.' Natsume spat. He knew that he should apologize, but his pride was in the way.

'O-okay. Ruka stammered. Natsume sighed and shut his eyes, putting his manga over his face and attempting to fall asleep. Eventually he did, but even his dreams, (to his utmost horror) contained the AAO girl. He was now convinced that he was going mad.

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><p><strong>Soooooo O.o was it any good? Honest opinions please but I am new to this so you could go a little easy on me? oh i dont no i just want to no if i should keep going with it or not?<strong>

**~Fuzicloud~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ohaio everyone .**

**Me again with the next chapter nya~ THANKYOU everyone who added me my story or reviewed! it makes me very happy Nya~**

**Disclaimer: I DONT OWN GAKUEN ALICE OR ITS CHARACTERS... BUT I DO OWN THIS STORY IDEA... geddit?**

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><p>Previous CHapter<p>

_'Seriously, dude are you feeling ok?'_

_Natsume scowled, he new that he shouldn't have said that. He himself was not sure of his mental health._

_'Fine and you will be too if you close your mouth.' Natsume spat. He knew that he should apologise, but his pride was in the way._

_'O-okay. Ruka stammered. Natsume sighed and shut his eyes, putting his manga over his face and attempting to fall asleep. Eventually he did, but even his dreams, (to his utmost horror) contained the AAO girl. He was now convinced that he was going mad._

**Chapter 2**_  
><em>

4 Days Later

Natsume sat in class almost asleep when he was shaken awake by Ruka. It had been 5 days since he had been sent on the rescue mission. The girl still greatly inhabited his mind, but he was beginning to doubt that he would be seeing her again. Ruka shoved his shoulder again, and he opened his eyes. What he saw nearly made him gape. The girl he had struggled to not think about for 5 days was standing in front of him smiling. He was, for the first time in his life, completely at a loss for words.

'Thank you,' she said quietly 'for taking me out of that godforsaken hell hole.' Then she dropped her voice to barely a whisper, so only he could hear. 'The AAO is a cruel place.' She gave him a huge smile and walked off. To sit next to a girl in their class. None other than Hotaru Imai.

Ruka was about to ask Natsume what exactly she had thanked him for, when their overly feminine **male **teacher walked into the room. He beckoned to the brunette that spoke to Natsume earlier and she walked up. Their teacher, Narumi-sensei wrote her name on the board.

_Welcome to class 2B_

_Mikan Sakura_

Beside Ruka, Natsume mouthed her name, Ruka was stunned. Natsume however decided that her name tasted very nice in his mouth. Ruka poked him shoving a piece of paper in front of him.

_How do you know her, and why is she thanking you?_

He stared at it for a moment, and then replied: _She was the point of my last mission, I had to bring her to the Principal, and she was at the AAO headquarters, in their research and development department. You should have seen her; she was being guarded like a secret weapon._

'Hello everyone!' Her smooth voice caught Natsume and Ruka's attention 'I'm Mikan, so please feel free to call me Mikan-chan!' She had smiled cheerfully at them and many of the boys in their class made _Oohing _and _Ahhhing_ sounds. She was stunning. Natsume let out a low growl, and Ruka could practically see the hearts in his friends eyes, this girl had the infamous cold-hearted Natsume Hyuga captivated. What the hell was going on?

'Well Mikan-chan, I can tell your going to be popular, why don't you tell them your star rank and your ability class, as well as your Alice?' Though he said it as if he knew already, it was evident to Natsume that he had no clue.

'Um well, actually sensei, I have two Alices, the first one is Nullification, the ability to stop any Alice, and the other one is SEC. Unfortunately, I can't tell you what that is. But my star rank is –ah- special? I'm not really sure what that means, but anyway my class is the Dangerous ability's, so please treat me well!' And with that extraordinary statement she looked expectantly and Narumi.

'_SEC' _Natsume was again surprised as he scribbled on the piece of paper next to Ruka.

_SEC, the Steal, Erase and Copy Alice, she could take any of the Alices in this room, just by coming into contact with us. That Alice is more dangerous than mine. _Ruka's eyes widened as he read and he looked at the Mikan with a new fear.

Narumi looked shocked beyond words, but he shook himself out of it.

'Well there you have it class.' He stuttered then adding on the end as if he had momentarily forgotten it, 'Oh, and Mikan-chan is Natsume-kun's partner, please raise your hand Natsume-kun?' He didn't really think that Natsume would obey him, but he tried anyway. When he didn't, Narumi pointed to the only empty seat.

'You sit there next to Natsume.' And with that he escaped, thoughts of Natsume burning him alive, and jealous fan-girls flaying him, filling his head.

She approached them, head up and smiling at everyone who looked her way. A group of girls with dyed hair and caked faces were glaring at her, when she got to the seat beside Natsume, they all took a breath in, he had never let anyone sit there before, threats of burnt hair and eyeballs had kept everyone at bay, but this girl just merrily walked along stopping in front of Natsume and putting on her biggest smile yet. Sat down, meeting no resistance from a hypnotized Natsume.

'So you're Natsume huh?' She said quietly, he nodded. Ruka looked petrified.

'I really meant what I said back there, the AAO is the worst place in the entire world. I owe you for getting me out of there.' Before he could reply, a girl from the group of cake-faces and fake boobs was standing in front of them.

'Excuse me Sakura-san, but that's-, you can't sit there, its reserved for me.' She said in her sugar coated voice. Luna Koizumi. Mikan got up.

'Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't realize.' She smiled at the girl and made to leave.

'You can have my other seat, its right there.' She indicated the seat next to another girl, with shiny seaweed green hair, and the front ends permed. She took one step away and Natsume made the split second decision that he might die if he had to sit next to Luna. He grabbed Mikan's arm. Everyone gasped.

'Oi! What the hell do you think your doing Koizumi?' He growled, giving Luna his famous death glare. 'This is my desk, therefore I get to choose who sits next to me, and it certainly isn't going to be you!' Luna was flabbergasted as Natsume pulled Mikan back into the seat. Mikan smiled at Luna sweetly.

'I guess I will be staying here.' Mikan said in smiley voice. Luna sniffed and swaggered away wiggling her bum at them to try and change Natsume's mind.

Just after she had walked away, another shadow had fallen across Mikan's desk; it was the girl she had befriended before the class had started. Mikan realised she hadn't even got the girls name.

'Hotaru Imai.' She said coldly, her purple eyes and short glossy hair giving her the appearance of a goddess.

'Oh, Mi-' 'I know who you are, Mikan Sakura. Formerly top secret weapon of the AAO, possessing the Steal, Erase and Copy and Nullification Alice's, Hyuga here was instructed to collect you five days ago, and bring you back here, and now you are a part of the student body.' Mikan was silent after this little speech, no-one was supposed to know what her past had been like, or that she had any previous connection to the AAO, OR that her second Alice was the Stealing Alice. Save for Natsume, that evil masked teacher and the Principal. But this girl.

'If you know, how many others do and why aren't you all like, pointing and staring at me?' She looked around nervously, expecting someone to scream and cry. 'Or is that why that other girl hates me?' she mused, more to herself than Hotaru.

'Koizumi hates you because you are sitting next to Hyuga, the only others that know are Hyuga and Nogi. I have the invention Alice and as far as I know you already possess that Alice so I have nothing to worry about.'

'Oh…'

'And,' here she turned to the blond boy who was looking at Mikan with huge terrified eyes. 'Nogi, you can stop staring at her like she's an alien, she already has your Alice too.' The boy relaxed slightly and he reached out a tentative hand.

'Ruka Nogi, Animal pheromones.' He said, Mikan took is hand and shook it.

'Hello Ruka-pyon!' She said, it took him a while but…

'Wait, WHAT? PYON?'

'Pyon.' Said Hotaru emotionless voice but an evil smirk creeping up her lips, her favourite pastime was blackmailing the animal loving boy, and now that this new girl had come up with such an embarrassing nickname for him, it was going to stick.

She silently positioned a button camera in her uniform and said slowly.

'Ruka-pyon…' Upon hearing it, Ruka proceeded to turn a tomato red colour and face Hotaru angrily. She then brought out another camera, a big one with a flash, and many strange gadgets protruding off it and took more photos.

'Ruka-pyon, Ruka-pyon, Ruka-pyon.' She chanted, dodging his flailing arms, ignoring his protesting shouts, and all the while, succeeding to take a great many, good quality, embarrassing photos of Ruka.

'Ooops,' said Mikan to Natsume, as they watched the inventor and the animal lover run around the room. 'Perhaps I shouldn't have said that.'

'Hn.'

'I just thought it suited him, seeing as it's a cute name, and he's a cute little boy.' When she said this, Natsume turned to look at her. Sensing his gaze she turned to him and smiled. Her calling Ruka cute was getting to him, so got up and left, leaving Mikan to stare after him wondering if she had said something that had offended him. Ruka noticed Mikan looking out the door, and came over, giving up on ever getting his photos back from Imai (For now).

'Um, hey Sakura-san…'

'Hmmmm… Oh hey Ruka-pyon… Natsume just up and left after I said your name, did I do something?' Ruka smiled, that was so like Natsume.

'Did you say anything else?'

'Just that you deserve a cute nickname because you're a cute person…'

'Ahhhhhh.' Ruka smiled again a slight blush tinging his cheeks. That would have made him pissed off no doubt. He then wondered what this girl had done to make Natsume so obsessed.

'Yeah, that's just his personality, he ditches class all the time, in fact, that's the first time he's been to homeroom for the whole year.' Ruka said to her, '_Except for the past 5 days. He's been coming to homeroom looking totally out of it. Siting down scanning the room until Naru comes, then leaving. _

'Don't worry about it. In fact why don't you follow him, he probably is sitting near the Sakura Tree or on one of its branches, I usually would but…' Here he jerked his head to Hotaru, who was now starting a mini auction to people in their class, selling his photos. 'Today, I am other wise… ah… engaged.' He looked grimly in the inventors direction.

'Okay! Ill do that! Maybe I can get him to come back!' She flashed him a dazzling smile an ran out into the corridor.

'_Natsume come back to class?' _Ruka thought '_Fat chance.'_

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><p><strong>Woohooo <strong>**Chapter two is doooonnnneee yip yip  
>THanks for reading it and a special thanks to 'PurpleRose8a'<br>As long as you keep reviewing i will try to keep writing nya  
><strong>

THanks Nya~

Fuzicloud~


	3. Chapter 3

**YAAAYY! Fuzicloud is back nya~  
>Not that its been that long but... anyway. There have been heaps more people viewing reviewing and even adding my story to alerts and favs than i thought! It makes me so happy that i jump around in circles everytime it tells me someone ellse has reviewed or faved nya~<br>Well then. Many people tell me that they like this first story of mine, and so ill continue i think.  
>I Have another idea for a story. Its a gakuen alice one. and its MikanxNatsume (OF COURSE) but yeah im not really sure if i should upload it or not. In this particular one natsume is a warewolf nya~ <strong>

** So anyway nya, here is the third chapter of burning raindrops nya~ hope you like it nya~  
><strong>

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><p>'Okay! Ill do that! Maybe I can get him to come back!' She flashed him a dazzling smile an ran out into the corridor.<p>

'_Natsume come back to class?' _Ruka thought '_Fat chance.'_

Natsume sighed. Away at last. He had half a mind to go back to class, just to see Mikan again, but he was comfy here on the branch of his favourite tree, so he decided not to. Also, if he started to go to class again, people would talk, there would be huge speculation about his reasons and many rumours would start. Rumours pissed him off. Just like the fact that he couldn't get Mikan Sakura out of his head.

'Natsume!' Great now he could even here her voice in his head.

'Natsume!' Wait a second…

'**Natsume!** There you are!' Mikan Sakura swung gracefully around the branch to come and sit lightly beside him on it. She was really there.

'_Unless I'm seeing things as well.' _He thought bitterly. '_And after everything recently, it wouldn't be surprising!'_

'Hello Natsume! I have been looking for you everywhere!' He just looked at her, stunned by her sudden appearance.

'Go away, stupid.' He actually really wanted her to stay right were she was, but noooooo, being Natsume Hyuga, he couldn't tell her that now could he?

'It's nice up here.' She said a little more quietly, 'It's a nice view, and there is peace and quiet.'

She looked down at the ground, sniffed, then looked quickly back at him, eyes slightly watery.

'You know Natsume. This is the first time I have ever been to school, or had any other education besides battle training. It's the first time I have been able to meet other people with Alice's and not have to take them away. I can just talk to them, I don't have to hurt them in any way. It's so different than any place I've ever been.' A fat tear rolled down her cheek, and Natsume wanted to reach out and brush it away.

'The teachers, the students, there not all shrinking away from me like terrified rodents, or looking at me with disgust like I'm some kind of vermin. I used to think that having and Alice was a terrible thing. Even people in the AAO hated me and looked down on me because I had an Alice I was so sure that my having two Alice's was the worst thing that had ever happened to me. The experiments that they did, the training, you wouldn't believe.'

'Hn, you would be surprised, you seem to think that me bringing you here was some sort of turn of good luck. But let me tell you, this place is living hell for the dangerous abilities class.' Natsume muttered, and Mikan turned to look at him strangely.

'Well, still you got me out of there and for that I will be always thankful to you for.' She gave him a watery smile.

'In the AAO, they give you needles that supercharge your senses, medicine that strengthens your skin and bones, stuff that bolsters muscle durability and makes you able withstand much more than the average body. But the worst stuff, is the injection that amplifies your Alice 100 fold. They force you down on an operating table and push great big syringes into you. They feel like fire running through your skin. It just terrified me when they did it to me. Then my Alice went berserk, I was nullifying everything within 50 meters, not to mention stealing every Alice that was within 50 meters as well. It just makes you want to…' Here she paused, not sure if she should tell him of her attempt to commit suicide. She made up her mind not to when suddenly, with his eyes still closed he said:

'I know, it makes you want to kill yourself… I tried so many times.' He opened his eyes and pushed back the sleeves of his shirt to reveal the many scars criss-crossing his wrists.

'Only problem is that they had already put so much other shit in me that I was a little harder to kill than I had first imagined.' He smirked at his own stupidity, but Mikan stared at him. _How can he talk about that so freely with me, someone that he only just met?_

Natsume meanwhile was thinking exactly the same thing. How could he possibly just blurt that all out to that girl? He had just said things that he had never told anyone else. Shown her the scars on his wrists that not even Ruka had seen.

'Ne- Natsume… I have tried that too.' She did the same as him, pulling her sleeves up to reveal a nasty scar that would be there for life.

'I wasn't as brave as you though, I chickened out halfway through it and only did it once.' Natsume watched more tears drip into her lap feeling guilty that he had brought back such painful memories.

'Hn.' He said, looking away. She suddenly looked up from crying with a huge smile on her face. She had just remembered the reason that she had followed Natsume in the first place.

'_Whoa, mood swings much?' _He thought.

'Ne- Natsume,' she grabbed his hand unexpectedly and jumped down from the tree pulling him with her.

'Let's go back to class, I don't really want to miss my first day of school, but I want you to be there as well!' With that she grabbed his arm dragged him all the way back to the elementary building. He just let her, even he didn't know why, but eventually he found himself standing in front of their door.

Suddenly he heard, or rather he didn't hear any noise coming from the other side of the door, it was unhealthily silent, and there was one of two reasons for this: They weren't there, or: They had the worst teacher possible for this period. Mikan however burst the door unknowingly open. He heard the croak, and he was sure that punishment was very nearly upon them. Mikan dragged him into the classroom after her, and they were met face to face with the worlds worst teacher.

Jinno-sensei

'Oh! Hi sensei!' Said Mikan sunnily, still holding Natsume's arm. He noticed the stares he was getting, and quickly pulled himself from her grasp.

'Hm? Oh, sorry Natsume!' She apologised to him then turned back to Jinno.

'Sakura, I presume, and Hyuga, you are both incredibly late for class, Sakura, as it is your first day, I will let you off lightly. But you Hyuga-'

'Natsume wasn't going to come at all, but I made him, so technically I'm the reason he's late, but you should be thankful that we came at all!' Mikan stated calmly, but with an edge to her voice that even seemed to get to Jinno.

'So _Jin-Jin_ you will let us both off for today and now we'll go and sit down.' With that she turned on her heel and walked to her seat, Natsume glared coldly at his teacher and followed her. The class looked bewilderedly at them as they passed. Already Natsume could hear the rumours beginning to form. Students were discussing why he and Mikan turned up together, how she had convinced him to come back to class, why she was holding onto him when they got there, why Mikan had defended him from Jinno, why Jinno had not punished either of them, and why he had chosen to sit with Mikan over Luna. All of the things that he heard were derogatory to Mikan.

Mikan let out a small sigh as she sat down. She looked down at the desk and fiddled with her nails.

_They all think I seduced you with my Alice or something… _ He could hear her voice but her lips weren't moving?

_Huh? Mikan?_

_I'm using my telepathy Alice, and before, I read their minds. I just wish they didn't all think so badly of me..._

_Hn, well, if you were any other girl you'd be burnt to ashes right now_

_Oh? So I'm special?_

_Hell no moron, I just know that it's pointless to try and burn you, you have at least a hundred other Alice's to attack me with, and you could just nullify my Alice anyway._ Natsume reasoned, though secretly he knew that even if she had none of those Alice's, he still wouldn't burn her.

_Mou! Natsume you meany!_

_Meany? Is that really the best you can do?_

_No, but swearing isn't good you dip- yeah..._

_Hn I see. Whatever Ugly_

_YOU- I AM NOT UGLY!_

_Hn, okay then moron._

_Hmf_

Natsume smirked, next to him Mikan pouted, and on the other side Ruka looked at the two with amazement. They looked like they were communicating but neither said a word. He ripped out a piece of paper from his book and wrote:

_Sakura-san, what did you mean when you said thank you to Natsume this morning?_

Mikan looked at it, then wrote:

_Well, you know that I was in the AAO for all my life, undergoing horrific experiments, _(she need not give him the gruesome details) _Natsume just appeared one day and rescued me, so I am REEEEEEEEAAAAAAALLLLLLLYYYY grateful to him._

'But moron, you prevented me sprinting off a cliff and smashing my skull to bits so just forget about it and we're even!' Natsume said suddenly surprising Mikan and Ruka.

'Natsume, you were going to run off a cliff?' Ruka whispered to his friend. Natsume and Mikan nodded slowly.

'And she healed me when I got shot, and stopped me from getting punished by Jinno.' He said matter-of-factly forgetting he had not told Ruka he had been shot.

'YOU GOT SHOT NATSUME?' Ruka yell/whispered, earning him a few quizzical glances from the students closest to them. 'You got shot and you didn't so much as tell me?' He said in a lower voice.

'Don't worry, I healed him completely, and a few of the other cuts and bruises and broken bones!' said Mikan happily. And Ruka stared at them disbelievingly for a few moments, he was glad and sad at the same time. On the one hand Natsume was finally interested in a girl, which meant that Ruka himself wasn't the only person Natsume cared about, but at the same time it felt like Mikan was taking Natsume away from him. They spent the rest of the class staring dreamily into space. Each with his/her own thoughts and worries.

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><p><strong>So yeah... there it is. Its slightly shorter than my other one. But im still not sure what length chapters should be ehehe -.-<br>So if u think that i should maybe upload this new idea of mine... tell me kay?**

**THANKYOU EVERYONE WHO REVIEWS! Nobody ells but you guys has read this so the reviews are the only things that keep me writing. **

**Ill update soon nya~  
><strong>

**Fuzicloud nya~  
><strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**NYA~ Yeah... Hey people. Um... Well I know that its been forever since I last updated this. And I'm sorry for taking forever, I just couldn't find the time...**

**BUT! From now on I am going to work very hard to update regularly. Yes I am.  
>Anyways.. It's the beginning of Natsume and Mikans first mission together! Woohoo<strong>

**And another character comes in this chapter! I feel mysterious! **

**... Yeah well hope ya like it**

**Nya~  
><strong>

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><p>Natsume was walking down the High School Division corridor to the dangerous ability's meeting room. Mikan had informed him of his mission at the end of first lesson.<p>

_Flashback_

_Mikan leaned towards Natsume, and whispered. _

'_Persona-sensei just sent me a message via telepathy, you are to go to the meeting room at the end of recess, there is a mission.'_

_Her warm breath moved away from him and she got up, and just before walking out the door with Imai, gave him a dazzling smile._

___End Flashback_

He was now making his way slowly there dressed in his mission uniform, which was a black shirt, which he rolled the sleeves of up to the elbows, long black pants and black boots, his uniform included a crimson tie, but he wore the top button of his shirt undone, so the tie hung loosely around his neck. Also around his right wrist was a black sweat band with a tracker implanted in it.

'Stupid bastard…' Natsume muttered darkly. Persona was always calling him out on missions, and usually he didn't get away without some form of serious wound.

He pushed open the heavy wooden door of the meeting room, and to his surprise, found a girl sitting there. Other than her the room was empty. She rose from her position facing away from him. He knew it was her, even before she turned around but… Some how he was still surprised at her smile, still surprised that she greeted him so warmly.

'Hey Natsume, do you like my mission outfit, isn't it sooooooooo kawaii!' She squealed at him, she sounded so happy that if he didn't know better, he'd say that she'd just won the lottery or something.

'Hn. Moron, what are you doing here?' He asked frowning, he hadn't had a partner for missions in, well, a while and the last one he had had…

'Hn to you to you meany! I already told the whole of our class. I'm in the D.A class, remember?' Her face had fallen when he had failed to give her any complement about her outfit. He had to admit, it did look stunning. A white mini skirt, flecked with grey, and a white grey flecked cropped t- shirt that exposed her flat stomach, over the knee white socks and black boots that just reached slightly over her ankles. Also just below the hem of her skirt, two gun holsters were visible strapped to each leg, and in them, two twin pistols one black and one white. _'So not only does she have hundreds of killer Alice's, but she could also shoot anyone's head off.'_ Natsume thought blithely.

'So, who's your partner? Do you know yet?' He stared at the ground.

'It's you.' Said a cold vice coming from the door. Natsume didn't have to turn around to know it was Persona.

'No.' He said bluntly 'I haven't had a partner for ages, and you know perfectly well what happened to my former partner. You also know I work better alone.'

'So what, I don't care if your last partner got blown to pieces, you'd better get used to working with her, because you KuroNeko, and you Haineko, are working together on missions from now on as my and the principal's two precious favourites.' Persona had just walked in, and was standing in the doorway, with a sheet of paper. Mikan went to him and retrieved this. 'Also Haineko,' he paused to throw her a white and grey cat mask. **(A/N: It looks like Natsume's one in the manga but where his is black hers is white and where his is brown hers is grey.)**

Natsume's face darkened when he saw it. He knew that mask to well. And that name, _Haineko. _Natsume glared at Persona. 'No. I refuse. I. Will. Not. Work. With. Her.'

Persona glared at him, then he suddenly grabbed Mikan's arm, and made to take his own white half faced mask off.

'Well, if that's how your going to be, then perhaps, my Alice, might encourage you?' He put a finger under his mask and lifted it partially off. If it came all the way off, Mikan was as good as dead, Persona's Alice would infect her instantly and within seconds she would be on the ground, black bruises spreading rapidly throughout her body and stopping her heart.

'NO! Don't. I'll, work with her, just… Don't.' Persona chuckled and let go of Mikan. Natsume internally sighed with relief and lowered his eyes.

'You know KuroNeko, for someone renowned for being cold, you sure are soft.' Said persona cruelly, and turned to walk out the door. 'Haineko has all the information on your principal for the next few days, I wish you both luck.' He disappeared and Natsume scowled. Persona knew exactly how to get to him and it pissed him off. However, at least Mikan was unharmed.

'Ne- Natsume, what was that all about, was he gonna do something, bad?' Mikan looked at him confusedly, and he sighed.

'C'mon we've got to go. Give me the papers for this dumb mission.'

_3 Hours Later_

Natsume was leaning against a wall outside the office of a businessman. He and Mikan had been assigned as bodyguards for him, because he was in Japan for a massive business deal and it was expected that there might be one, or several terrorist attacks and assassination attempts, therefore he would need strong personal protection. Natsume and Mikan were that protection. It occurred to Natsume that this man had never had Alice protection, so he may take some time to trust Natsume and Mikan with his life. It is very difficult to believe that two 13yearolds can protect you better than 100 fully grown men. But it was true.

Suddenly the door opened revealing a man clad in a good quality suit and boy of about 8. The man immediately spotted Natsume and Mikan and looked at them somewhat angrily. 'Mr Hijiri right? We-' Natsume started but was cut off.

'What are you two runts doing here.' He said narrowing his eyes 'I'm and important man and I am waiting for personal security, so if you have come to beg for money, I'm not going to give you any. Shoo!'

Natsume sighed, 'Look old man!' he said in a rather agitated voice. 'Your personal security is here. You are looking it in the face and telling it to shoo like a stray cat. My partner and I are the best there is, so if you want to keep living, I suggest we get on our way to whatever business meetings you have so I can go home.' Natsume glared at the man. Mikan giggled a bit at the man's flabbergasted face.

'I don't believe you!' He said. 'Prove it.' He had hardly spoken when Mikan pulled out her twin guns and fired six times. Three each gun. They whizzed past his head and he spun around to look at what she had shot at. Standing there was the boy who had been gaged. Behind him was a man completely in black, with a scarf around his mouth and nose, and a great big machine gun directed at the boy. An assassin and a kidnapper. The assassin fell backwards, having been hit with Mikan's guns. The old man gasped and ran to the boy's side. 'My god, Youichii are you alright!' He ripped the gag from Youichii's mouth and shook him. 'Speak boy!'

'Yes papa I'm fine.' His monotonous voice reminded Mikan of Natsume. She squealed at the cuteness. 'Really papa I am fine.' He said again.

'Is that proof enough for you ya stupid old man or do you want me to go kill someone else?' Natsume questioned, sounding bored. The man ignored him and looked at Mikan.

'Thank you, I can't thank you enough.' Mikan smiled, 'You can, by trusting us to protect you and Youichii. KuroNeko and I are well trained in what we do. Allow us to make your trip in Japan safe.'

The man looked at her, trying to gauge whether she was being sincere. Eventually he said:

'You have my trust, don't disappoint me.' Even though he couldn't see her face behind her mask Natsume could tell she was beaming. She approached him to hug him, but Natsume grabbed her wrist, he glared at her. 'You idiot, you can't go around hugging the target, were at work here remember!' Mikan shrugged, she placed her had on his to prise his fingers from around her arm.

'_Really Natsume, your just jealous aren't you?' _ He thought to himself, and hoped that Mikan hadn't been reading his thoughts at that precise moment. But thankfully she had already turned to the kid.

'Your names Youichii isn't it?' she extended a fingerless gloved hand. 'I'm Haineko.' Youichii hesitated but finally gave her his small hand. 'Hi.' It was short and blunt, and Mikan immediately thought of Natsume again. _'Jeez, I seem to be thinking of that jerk a lot lately. That's probably not good for mental health.' _And then, _'Wait, what, I'm thinking about Natsume a lot lately?' _She blushed slightly behind her mask. _'Snap out of it Mikan! You only just met the guy! You can't-' _She stopped thinking at a pull on her arm. Youichii was staring up at her and tugging her hand.

'Onee-chan?' He asked.

'Hm?'

'Can you let go of my hand now?' She had failed to notice that she was still holding Youchii's hand

'Hmm… Oh! I'm sorry Yo-chan I forgot I was holding on to you!' She let go and apologised franticly until she heard a snicker behind her. She turned around to see Natsume.

'Hey! What are you laughing at!' He snickered some more.

'The fact that you actually forgot, you were holding on to someone?'

'SHUT UP-!' 'Language Haineko' 'I mean, BE QUIET I was daydreaming about y-!' She stopped in mid-sentence, having almost revealed that she had been thinking about him to him.

'You were daydreaming about what little girl?'

'Ahha. Ummm… Oh look Yo-chan and Mr Hijiri are leaving! We'd better follow them!' She ran swiftly to catch up with the two. Natsume sighed

_'What's up with her?'_

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><p><strong>So there it is nya~<br>Is it to short or to long nya? I hope you people like it. Its gonna get exiting soon (I hope =_=)**

** I might try and update again today to make up for the long wait inbetween this chapter and the previous one. Ill try...**

**Thanks if you read it thanks if you reviewed and all that! Its just awesome when you do! If i don't get any this time I might discontinue this... Cuz I dont no if people like it or not...**

**Anyway untill nextime **

**By nya~**

**Fuzicloud~  
><strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Yep... its me again...  
>Soooo<strong>

**OK I am SOOOOOOOOOOO sorry for not updating sooner... T_T**

**Really Feel free to pummel me in any way you want! I feel awful, cuz iv had this bit of the story spining around in my head for a while now, i just needed to find time to write!**

**T_T I hope you accept my apology and continue reading this... I hope**

**Disclaimer: I wish i owned G.A... but if i did, why would i be wishing that?  
><strong>

**PLEASE ENJOY CHAPTER 5  
><strong>

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><p>Mikan sighed. Her legs were cramping up, from having to crouch on top of this building for so long. They were killing her. Waiting, she decided, was definitely not her strong point. She fought the urge to stand and stretch her legs, by looking over to see if Natsume was as uncomfortable as her.<p>

He was stretched out on his stomach beside her with his chin on his hands. Looking lazily through the window to where Mr Hijiri and Youichii were. Some kind of massive meeting of politicians.

She and Natsume were supposed to be keeping watch on the two Hijiri's through this window on top of the building they were in, but she was struggling to keep still.

'Jeezes little girl, you sure move a lot don't ya?' He questioned. Gazing up at her as she wriggled around, trying unsuccessfully to find a comfortable way to sit. He noticed something on her shoulder and smirked. ' Oh look, I don't know about you ugly but that spider there looks quite poisonous.'

'What spider Natsume? Stop being a jerk there is no spi….der. AGK! SPIDER! SPIDER! NATSUME GET IT OFF ME NOOOOOWWWW!' Natsume bit back his laughter and reached out to the spider on her shoulder, allowing it to scuttle on to his hand. She stopped screaming at once. '_Oh well, it was funny while it lasted' _He thought smirking. He deposited the spider onto the ground and rolled onto his back to stare up at the sky. Then he suddenly grabbed Mikan, and jumped across the roof with her, and put himself in front of her. Not a moment too soon. The rooftop they had formerly been standing on was suddenly getting rained on by gunfire. Debris showered the two and Natsume was glad he had stood in front of Mikan.

A fragment of the building struck him in the arm, puncturing his skin, and sent a shock of pain through his body. He felt the wound, noticing the dark red liquid that was proceeding to pour from it. Looking up at the sky, he saw where the bullets had come from.

A black helicopter hovered over them, and he could make out two black clad figures, pointing heavy duty machine guns at them. Turning quickly back to Mikan to see if she was injured, he heard two sharp shots. He looked at her curiously and found that her face had darkened. In her hands were her two twin pistols, black and white. She looked deadly. 'Are you alright Natsume?' She said scanning him with worried eyes. 'I'm not injured enough to need someone like you worry about me.' He said, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards. She puffed out her cheeks and turned back to the helicopter.

It obviously had on-board guns, because despite the fact that both the men who had shot at them before were dead, (courtesy of Mikan Sakura) they were still under fire.

Natsume jumped to avoid more bullets, and saw Mikan do the same thing. She danced around the bullets with ease gracefully dodging them, before sending a couple of rounds into the barrel of one of the on board guns. As she did a cartwheel to escape more bullets, one went past her leg, catching the skirt and ripping it from the hem of it, right up the side to reveal….

Polka-dots. Polka-dot panties.

Seriously? Natsume felt the sides of his mouth tug up in the beginnings of a small smile. Oblivious to the fact that her panties were on show to the world, Mikan turned to face him. 'Natsume! What are you smirking at? I can't take this helicopter on my own ya know!'

Natsume's smirk widened. 'Yeah yeah Polka-dot's I'm coming.' She spared him a quizzical glance before catching a glance down at herself to see her ripped skirt. 'NATSUME YOU BLOODY PERVERT!' She screamed, using her ice Alice to freeze the second gun. Natsume set to work burning the rotor blades of the helicopter and saw something that made him yell.

'POLKA-DOT'S! MOVE!' Out of the helicopter had jumped another black clad figure. This one holding something. He reached and pulled something out of the thing that he was holding. It looked suspiciously like a pin…

'MIKAN RUN!' He screamed, begging her to move out of the way of the man. But it was too late. He hit the ground with a sickening crunch. At Mikan's feet. She bent over to inspect him and…..

BOOOOM

'MIKAN!'

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><p>Natsume watched in horror as the bomb exploded, cracks spread rapidly throughout the building Mikan had been standing on, and it crumbled before his eyes. Falling in on itself, thundering to the ground. Once the dust had cleared, the place where the building had formerly been was just a pile of rubble. No sign of Mikan.<p>

'Oi! Polka-dot's? Hey? Mikan!' He yelled coarsely. _'No! This can't be happening! Absolutely not!' _ He ran forward, jumping down to the bottom, and begun dragging rocks around desperately calling her name.

Suddenly a flash of white caught his eye to his right. A piece of white clothing beneath some rocks. He sprinted over to it and heaved the rocks aside. Lying in the dust he found Mikan.

She had a dark red stain growing over her stomach. And another over her right shoulder. The sticky red liquid poured over Natsume's hands as he gently gathered her into his arms. She moaned softly as he ran out of the building, desperately thinking of what he could do to save her. He spotted a shock of grey hair amongst the gathering crowd. Youichii and Mr Hijiri! He sprinted over to the pair, holding Mikan close to his chest.

'Mr Hijiri! Youichii!' He panted, finally reaching them. They both stared. quickly Natsume regained his composure.

'Please follow me, and keep as close as possible, we are returning to Gakuen Alice, my partner has been injured, and I will have to postpone your business meeting.' He looked coldly at the two Hijiri's then up at the sky.

Youichii stared wide eyed at Mikan, Natsume glanced briefly down at him, and back to Mr Hijiri. He looked pale and stunned, mouth slightly open and wide eyes. 'C'mon.' He said flatly, turning around and making his way towards a backstreet, where the limo that belonged to Mr Hijiri was parked.

Once inside the car he lay Mikan out on the seat and gently removed her bloodstained mask. Her face, now visible to both the Hijiri's was pale and sweaty, he knelt down next to her head and whispered in her ear.

'Hold on polka, just bare it for a little bit longer.'

'Na…tsume.' She turned her head to him stiffly, and managed to crack a small smile.

'Don't talk Polka-dot's, just rest, and I'll get you back to the academy. Then they'll heal you and you'll be fine.' _'I hope.'_

'Ok then Natsume, I believe you-'

'Just shut up little girl, focus on resting instead of talking.'

'Ok Ok I'm on it-'

'Be quiet.'

'Mhph.'

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><p><strong>Mhm so that's chapter 5 for you...<strong>

**I apologize if its rushed. Allot. And its short  
><strong>

**Please leave a review. It makes me dance when i get one**

**Now Back To writing**


	6. Chapter 6

**Aaaaallllllrrrrriiiigghht! **Cowers in shame****

**I give everybody who reads this (if there is anyone left DX) to shoot me.**

**THis is SOOOOOOO LATE!**

**I just couldnt write anything. I refuse to write anything if my brain is not coming up with anything. It will just turn out to be crap. (thats what happened with the last chapter).**

**I dont know if this counts, but also, currently i have a broken finger, and they were taped together, making writing a very painfully slow thing to do. Now that they are untaped. (still broken, but untaped. Dad says i have to 'get used to using them again' before they are fully healed.)**

**So i am now bakc and on hollidays. XD YAAAAYY lots of time to write. But geting close to christmas, i might not have a lot of time. (Im contradicting myself arn't I?)**

**I am quite proud of this chapter, its so much better than the last one.  
>I will probly re-write that chapter when this fic is finished. Because its ruffly done in my head, i just have to right it out! <strong>

**Hope you like it! **

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><p><em><strong>Chapter 6:<strong>  
><em>

_Strange men surrounded her, they smile manically at her, snapping their rubber gloves, and pull syringes out of their white coats. She struggles, thrashing her limbs about wildly, but to no avail. Her bonds keep her tied down to the table, her naked body presented in front of the. _

'_Mikan…' They say sadistically. She hates they way they chorus it, whispering softly in her ears._

'_Mikan'_

'_Mikan!'_

'**Mikan!' **

The shout startled her out of one nightmare and into the next. The excruciating wounds of the real world came rushing at her, threatening to knock her out again. But she fought. There was someone who needed her to fight.

'Mik-Polka-dot's?' She cracked her eyes open to see slightly worried pair of crimson ones, the worry in them quickly turned into relief that changed into impassiveness.

'Natsume…' She whispered so softly that even though there were Youichii and Mr Hijiri were in the same car, only Natsume heard. Mikan tried to get up, groaning with the effort, and feeling a pressure on her shoulders, forcing her back into a lying down position.

'Absolutely not Polka-dot's. You aren't moving your badly injured and in need of immediate medical attention. Dammit Polka Baka!'

He struggled with her for a moment before she gave in and went limp. She sighed

'Ugh this is so…. Stupid! I can't believe I was so careless. How could I not notice that fucking guy?'

Natsume raised his eyebrow at her and said with his voice dripping with sarcasm. 'I don't know Polka, it's just _sooooo_ Not like you to be careless.'

Mikan glared –as hard as you can at someone who has just saved your life. 'Jerk!' she muttered.

'Hn. Polka-dot's-' 'Don't call me that!' '-You should really stop moving. You're getting blood all over the upholstery.'

Mikan stared down at herself, at her beautiful uniform that she had handpicked herself, at the white leather seat of the limousine, she brought her hands up to look at them, and found that her gloves had been stained red, like everything else. Finally she looked at Natsume. Natsume who had saved her life. Natsume, with his messy black hair, and liquid crimson eyes that matched the small specks of blood that covered his face. '_Only Natsume,' _she thought _'Could look that good with blood all over him.'_

Then she blushed, despite her position, the reality of what she had just said sinking in.

'_No! The blood loss must be making me delirious, Natsume is not…' _

_Not what? _A voice in her head asked. _Good looking? Hot? Face it Mikan, you like the guy. You are just in denial._

'_NO I AM NOT!' _She mentally shouted at the voice_ 'And I DO NOT like Natsume!'_

_Tut, tut. Denial, denial. _It chanted at her. She started to argue again when she realized that she was conversing with a voice in her head.

'_Great now I am hearing voices in my head, and talking back to them. I've definatly lost to much blood.' _ She thought dejectedly, when she was suddenly pulled back from her own little world by the ringing of a phone. Natsume's voice answered it.

'Persona. This is Kuro Neko.' He said into the phone. With her finely tuned hearing, she could just make out some of the words Persona said.

'_Kuro Neko…. What….. Haineko….the targets?'_

'Haineko has been badly wounded, maybe fatally so, but she's alive.' He took a breath 'The targets are both fine, but the building was attacked half way through their meeting, and they have discovered. It was unavoidable. The assailants were taken down, all were killed.'

'_I see… shall…. A punishment?' _Natsume's eyes fleetingly showed some uncertainly, and Mikan heard a sharp intake of air. _ '… Will you… to… blame?' _

'Yes. I am willing. I'll take all of it.' '_All of what?' _Mikan wondered.

'_Good. Bring… airport… Haineko… there. I… waiting. Get Haineko… teleport… await… arrival.' _The line went dead.

Natsume stared at the phone disbelievingly. Then crumpled it in his hand and set it on fire.

'Bastard.' He muttered 'How does he expect her to…' He glanced down at Mikan. The concern in his scarlet eyes made her heart flutter.

'Look, Polka…' He addressed her slowly, as if unsure how to start his sentence. 'Do you think, that you have enough strength to…' he growled in frustration. 'Look that stupid bastard wants you to teleport all of us,' He gestured to the Hijiri's, himself and her. 'To the airport.'

Her head wizzed. Persona wanted them at the airport? Her teleportation Alice could definatly get them there, she just wasn't sure if her body could handle it. If you use an Alice when your body or mind are already under pressure, or wounded, it could kill you.

'Yes Natsume. I think I can do that.' She closed her eyes and sat up, trying not to feel the pain all over her body. Then she felt herself being lifted off the seat and into someone's arms. She glanced up at Natsume.

'Just cuz you have to teleport us, doesn't mean you need to put extra strain on yourself by standing up to do it now, does it?' He allowed himself the most minute of smirks, before moving to stand next to the Hijiri's. His grip on her tightened 'Lets go, Polka-dot's.'

She activated her Alice.

Natsume, whose eyes had been forced shut because of the less than perfect teleportation, opened slowly when his feet touched the ground. Mikan was in his arms struggling for breath and whimpering.

Next to him, Mr Hijiri and Youichii, being unused to the experience, had been knocked off their feet.

'Na-tsu-me!' Mikan gasped. Breathing raggedly. 'Did I do it? Are we there?' Natsume looked around at the Alice Medics rushing toward them, and the big plane to his left. 'Yeah Polka-dot's, ya did.'

She smiled, sighed with relief and passed out. Natsume sprinted to the stretcher that had been prepared for her and gently laid her down. He watched as an oxygen mask was placed on her face and almost didn't notice the dark presence behind him.

Key word: _Almost._

'Persona.' Natsume spat, turning away form the heart wrenching sigh of Mikan on a drip, being pumped full of drugs. Then he forced calm into his voice.

'Mission complete. Targets are slightly shaken but otherwise unharmed; Haineko is in critical condition and other than a possible broken rib from the explosion that wounded her, my injuries are minimal.' He finished his voice void of emotion, as he stared blankly in front of him.

Persona walked over to Mikan's side and looked down at her with an expression of distaste. He reached out to touch her but recoiled as he thought of a crueller method to do what he had just been about to do.

'Kuro Neko. Come here.' He called Natsume to his side and Natsume looked anywhere but Mikan's pale lifeless face.

'The mask. Take it.' He indicated the white and grey cat masked clipped to Mikan's belt. It had a small crack over the bridge of the nose, and it was filthy. Natsume reached to unclip it, barely controlling the shaking in his hands. _'No. He would not show this man that he was shaking. It would only bring him some kind of sick pleasure.'_

'Now hand it to me.' He said, placing his hand out for Natsume to put the mask on.

At that precise moment Mikan cracked her eyes open a millimetre, and flung her hand out to stop Natsume handing the mask to Persona. He felt her cold hands on his arm, her nails digging in to his skin.

'Polka-dot's…' he breathed.

'Natsume- you-keep-that…' she whispered. 'So—you can—give it back—to me—when I—get back.' Her grip on him tightened. Almost drawing blood, but he didn't flinch. Instead he looked to Persona.

He nodded.

'Fine. You are permitted to keep it.' He said. 'But…' he said lowly, as he walked passed Natsume, so only he could hear. 'If she dies, you will immediately return it to me.' Then he was gone, and Natsume was left glaring after him.

'It's—okay Natsume. Don't—worry, you—won't have—to – give it back—to him. It—might take—a bit of—time. But—when I—come back—you'd better—have that—ready—to—gi—ve back… to me…' Mikan realeased her hold on his arm, and her hand fell back to her side. Her eyes closed and she smiled as she lost consciousness again. He squeezed the mask in his hand, and suddenly it was hard to swallow.

The medics swarmed her, yelling orders, and started pushing Mikan's stretcher away from him. He watched it speed, and disappear around the corner. He barely noticed the two medics that came up to him, to treat his injuries. He followed them blindly to a chair and they asked him questions about the pain. His mouth automatically answered but he had no idea what it was that he was saying. He was vaguely aware of them unbuttoning is shirt to wrap bandages around his chest, because there was not much they could do with a possible broken rib. He only broke out of his trance when a man in a white coat was standing in front of him clearing his throat. Natsume pulled on his shirt, not bothering to do up the buttons.

'You came here with the girl yes?' It wasn't a question. 'Well. She's in a bad way. Internal bleeding, several broken ribs, a fractured collar bone, and a concussion.' He paused. 'She won't make it through the night. I'm sorry.' He turned and walked away.

Several things in Natsume died.

He saw the Hijiri's boarding a plane, medics rushing around, and airport staff racing around the plane. But none of it mattered, because Mikan, Mikan… Mikan was…

He took a forlorn look at the sky, and started the journey back to Gakuen Alice. Where Luca was waiting for him. Where Imai was waiting for Mikan. All of the students in his class. The idiot teacher Narumi. He had to go back and tell them all, that he was the only one coming back.

He put his mask on, and clutched Mikan's tightly. It contrasted greatly with his all black uniform. Even though it was filthy, it still stood out. White on black.

An unlucky black cat. And he hated it.

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><p><strong>There. Please leave a review, i only got one the previous chapter, so i hope this one is worthy of more!<strong>

**If there are any spelling or grammar mistakes, feel free to point them out. I am my own editor after all!**

**FuziCloud~**


	7. Chapter 7

**I am currently listning to Sometimes you cant make it on your own by U2**

**It reminded me so much of Natsume. Listn to it. Its great!  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: Dont own it. **

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><p>**3.00am In the room of Ruka Nogi**<p>

Ruka started at the sound of the door of his 3 star room opening and closing quietly. He silently reprimanded himself for having almost fallen asleep, then he slid off his still made bed, and approached the shadowy figure that had just entered his room. Normally, students would have their doors locked at this hour, but Ruka had special… circumstances.

'Natsume?' He whispered.

Ruka had made Natsume promise, when he first started taking missions, that when he had completed the mission, no matter what time of day or night, he would come into Ruka's room. It was Ruka's only way to make sure that Natsume had gotten back safely. Natsume had grudgingly agreed to this and had made sure to pass by Ruka's room on the way to his own ever since.

However, tonight, Ruka sensed that something was wrong. He had got no moody "Hn" as a reply when he had called out to his friend. Ruka paled. _'Is he so badly injured that he can't speak?'_ He thought in horror.

'Natsume? Natsume!' he called again, fear building.

There was a sigh. 'Yeah Ruka?'

Ruka's relief at hearing his voice was short lived. Natsume's normally slightly arrogant, husky voice sounded dull and hollow, and when Ruka pulled back his curtains, letting moonlight flood the room and he could clearly see Natsume, Ruka could only stare in shock.

If there was a word that perfectly described Natsume then, Ruka thought, it was defeated.

A defeated Natsume was something Ruka could not bear to look at. He rushed toward his friend, but stopped just short of touching him when Natsume flinched at his outstretched hand.

'My god… Natsume what happened.' Not only, Ruka realised, was Natsume defeated looking, he looked greatly injured. His black button up shirt had several burn holes in in and was unbuttoned to reveal numerous bandages, wrapped around his chest, and over his right shoulder. Dry blood covered his abdomen, and coated his arms up to his elbows, where his shirt sleeves were rolled up, they appeared to be stained darker than the rest of his shirt, indicating that there was blood there too.

The rest of his body was covered in minor wounds, bruises starting to form, and cuts and grazes only beginning to heal themselves. (Thanks to experiments performed on Natsume that made Ruka gag to think about.)

Natsume blinked slowly, before slumping himself against the wall and staring at the ground.

'We… we were on a bodyguard job for this politician and his son-' '_We_?' Ruka interrupted, surprised, Natsume had always told him he worked alone.

'Mi-_Dammit!_ Mikan and I.' He said looking up at Ruka briefly, pain evident in his eyes, and Ruka's heart plummeted.

'She and I were on a bodyguard mission. And-' The door burst open, interrupting Natsume once again to reveal none other than Hotaru Imai, Baka Gun in hand and panting like she had run a marathon. It was a most out of character occasion, but while Ruka was startled at her sudden appearance, Natsume looked almost as if he had expected it.

'Imai.' He said bluntly. She froze at the sound of his voice, and then rounded on him, pressing her Baka Gun to his throat, grabbing his collar, and slamming him into the wall with a force he did not know she possessed.

Natsume made no move to defend himself, though he did cough and spit some blood onto the floor.

'_Throwing up blood.' _Natsume thought to himself. '_Not exactly a sign of my good health. Internal bleeding maybe? It certainly hurts enough.'_

'Where. Is. She!' Imai panted, staring hard into Natsume's eyes. 'Who?' He asked, voice not betraying anything. Hotaru's looked desperately at him, imploring him to spill it.

'Dammit Hyuga! Where is Mikan! I know she went on a mission with you, she was on about it for days, and it's been three days since I've last seen her. Now you are back, and she is not. WHY! Where the hell is she Hyuga, tell me now or god help you I will… I'll…'

'You'll what Imai? There is not much you can do to me at the moment, so if you don't mind letting go of me, I have at least 3 broken ribs and a bullet in my arm. I'm not in the best mood.' Natsume stared coldly at her as she lowered her arm, and turned away from him.

'Spill it Hyuga.' She whispered.

'You sure you can take this Imai?' He questioned her turned back. 'It's not exactly a fairy-tale.' He saw the back of her head slowly nod up and down before she sat on Ruka's bed. Natsume mildly expected an objection from Ruka, and when none came he looked curiously to his best friend, only to find Ruka's eyes glued worriedly to the pale inventor, as she stared blankly ahead of her.

'_That's… new.' _He thought. And if it had been any other time or any other place, he would have not missed the chance to tease his friend. However…

'She's dead.' He sighed resignedly and cupped his hand over the bandaged bullet wound. 'Look, she and I were out on a mission, as bodyguards for this guy and his son. We spent most of the time just following them like shadows, but today they went to some massive meeting. The place they were in was jam packed full of important bastards. It was the reason that they were in this country at all. We were not allowed to be inside the building, so we were on top of the neighbouring one when we were opened fire upon by a helicopter. We weren't ready for an attack of that magnitude, so naturally we received some minor injuries.' He indicated the slug in his arm. 'But it wasn't that hard to take out, and once we did, she turned her back on it. A man jumped out of it with a –bomb –in his hand, it detonated at her feet. There was nothing I could have done. The whole building collapsed under her. It crushed her. I got her out and brought her to Persona but… the surgeon said she wouldn't make it through the night.'

Ruka felt sadness well up inside him. His best friend sounded like a robot, the way he talked, and the words he used, they sounded so wrong coming from a person his age. He sounded artificial. Without emotion.

Imai stared ahead of her unseeingly, silent tears dripping down her face. They fell from her cheeks at a startling pace, and Ruka quickly approached her alarmed. It was one thing to have the Ice Queen, Blackmailing Inventor of the school, burst into your room, but it was another entirely to have her sitting on your bed silently sobbing. Especially, (now this was just Natsume's speculation but…) if you liked her.

Natsume watched his best friend place himself tentatively at Imai's side. He reached a hand out and gently rubbed the inventors back. She raised her head to look at him for a moment, before leaning into his shoulder, and crying into his shirt.

This action, made Natsume realize just how important Mikan had been to the inventor. In the years that he had been at Gakuen Alice, he had never seen her once hang around with any of the girls in their year. In fact, any time he had ever seen her, she was surrounded by the strange old men that were the fans of her amazing inventions, or by no-one at all. People kept their distance from her almost as much as they kept away from him. **(A/N: Crazy, weird, obsessed fan-girls don't count. Natsume does not consider them Human, so they're not people.) **So two weeks ago, when Mikan arrived at the academy, and one of her first moves was to befriend Imai, Natsume could imagine what she was feeling now, as what was probably her only friend was… gone.

Natsume limped over to the window, and sat himself on the ledge, staring hopelessly at the moon. He sighed for what felt like the millionth time in the past three days, and listened to Imai's sobs as they subsided into the occasional whimper, and then sad, eerie silence. He forced himself to look over at his friend, and watched as Ruka lay Imai gently down on the bed, and pulled the covers around her.

Ruka caught the melancholic and almost jealous look on Natsume's face as he watched them, and wondered what his injured friend was thinking. Ruka had noticed Natsume's growing affection for Mikan, and he was practically jumping up and down with happiness that Natsume had finally found something to care about. Because frankly, at the moment, Natsume was much nicer to be around than before she had arrived. He was tolerating everything on a much higher level before. Even fan girls, and he came to class almost every day. It was only natural that Ruka would start to speculate about Natsume's feelings for the girl.

However now, Ruka could see his friend ripping himself apart with guilt, he wondered how best to approach thetopic.

'What Natsume?' He said suddenly, surprising Natsume into looking at him.

'What what?' Natsume said suspiciously, and Ruka sighed

'I saw that look just now. Am I not allowed to have feelings for Imai?' He asked, keeping his voice mild. 'Are you… possibly …jealous?' Ruka allowed himself a small knowing smirk, and Natsume was momentarily horrified.

'_Ruka Nogi just… smirked….'_

'I don't kno-'

'You shouldn't be, you know! You have that many fangirls parading themselves around you, just take your pick.' Natsume eyed him suspiciously, wondering who had replaced his best friend.

'How aboooouuuut…' Ruka continued 'Sumire Shouda?'

'Who's that?' Natsume quickly responded, and Ruka looked at him, aghast.

'Well… She practicaly flings herself at your feet every time she sees you. And she's picked on Mikan quite a few times, but, other than that, if you don't know her….'

Natsume visibly tensed when Mikan was mentioned.

'_Since when does he call Polka by her first name…?'_

Ruka took in his behaviour and continued, pretty much sure he was correct about his friends jumbled emotions. 'Well then… Luna Koizumi? And you _**cannot **_tell me you don't know who she is.'

Natsume proceeded to choke on nothing, and pretend to throw up out the window. When he was done, he looked back at Ruka reproachfully.

'Ok… I guess not. C'mon Natsume, don't you at least like any girl.'

'Hn.'

'If it's none of them than… I know she's not a fangirl… but… Maybe… Sakura-san?'

Natsume turned slowly to face his best friend of over 8 years, **(A/N: I am not sure of the age that these two met… but if Natsume is about 14-15 here... that would make them have met at 6 or 7. I don't know if that's right though =_=) **his eyes full of contained grief, that being Natsume, he did not know how unchain himself from. Ruka knew that he couldn't do anything to help, but he so desperately wanted to run to his friend and untie him from the school, from emotions, blame, and responsibilities that someone of his age should not have to deal with.

'Maybe Ruka… She just so different that I … Maybe…' They lapsed into silence.

**Bzzzt Bzzzt! Bzzzt Bzzzt!**

The alert tone of a mobile interrupted both of their thoughts, and Natsume pulled the black cell out of his pocket and flipped it open to read the text, knowing full well who it was from, and what it was most likely about.

**From: Persona**

**KuroNeko, you are required  
><strong>**at the meeting room  
><strong>**immediately to discuss your  
><strong>**punishment for the exposure  
><strong>**of your identity.  
>- <strong>

'Natsume? What was that about? Natsume!' Ruka's ocean blue eyes shone with concern in the moonlight, and he tried not to let the panic inside of him take over completely.

'It's nothing Ruka. I have to go now though. I'll see you tomorrow.' He assured, though he covered his eyes with his silky black bangs.

'Ok. See you tomorrow, and Natsume? Be careful.' Natsume nodded, and pushed the window open, stepping onto the ledge and crouching down, he turned back to Ruka once more, a slight smirk on his face.

'Don't do anything weird to Imai, seeya Ruka.' He stayed just long enough to see Ruka's face turn into a bright red tomato and he started stuttering nonsense, before leaping from the windowsill, and into the approaching dawn.

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><p><strong>Ok thats kindof a filler chapter, and i know its boring but it is nessasary. Believe me. <strong>

**And i was wondering... Does anyone actualy read this story? Nobody reviews anymore, so i am doubtfull... **

**If no-one does read this, ill take it down cuz i dont want to bother if nobody thinks its any good.**

**But now, ill go back to writing, and waiting for a reveiw, and more writing.**

**Ja Ne...**

**FuziCloud~**


	8. Chapter 8

**_I_ma not gonna say anything but that i luv chu guys to pieces and feel free to violently bash me... I deserve it.**

**Disclaimer: Dont own it. Not a single hair on Mikans head DX TT_TT**

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><p>Natsume stood lopsidedly at the door to the High School Division building. He still, had not been to the infirmary yet, even with all his wounds. He found it comforting –in a twisted sort of way – that he could feel anything at all. However, it was also his way of punishing himself for the many things that had gone wrong today. Or was it yesterday now?<p>

He didn't know.

The only thing that ran through his head, time after time after time.

'_Mikan's dead. Mikan's dead! MIKAN IS DEAD!' _

'DAMMIT! Fuck fuck fuck!' Natsume swore over and over again. He felt like he was drowning. Yes drowning, that was a good way to put it. He wondered if this was what it felt like when you lost someone you loved. A lot. More than anything in the world.

Ugh, he didn't know what it was that he was feeling, but it made him want to viciously hurt someone, and then tear his chest open and rip his heart out. Persona was definitely not helping either.

_FlAsHbAcK_

_Natsume hesitantly pushed open the gigantic double doors, knowing that his punishment and Persona were both on the other side of them. Sighing and proceeding onwards anyway he walked through and faced the man sitting at the table inside._

'_Ah. KuroNeko. How nice of you to decide I was worth your time. I was beginning to doubt you.'_

_Natsume remained silent. Waiting for him to get to the point. It was one of Personas most aggravating traits. He liked to drag out other people's pain as long as he could. Waiting for him to decide something, was like watching grass grow on slow-motion._

'_Well, I can see that you are not enjoying my presence so I will tell you now, you are not going to be punished for the fact that you let two targets know your face and name today._

'_It has been decided, that Haineko's death has been punishment enough for you.' Natsume stared at him. _

'_However, you are required to inform all of your teachers and peers of the loss. You will tell them you and her were simply on a mission, and that she was killed. You will give no details. Is that perfectly understood KuroNeko?'_

__EnD fLaShBaCk__

'_Tch. No punishment huh? Yeah right.' _He thought bitterly. Telling each of his classmates and teachers that Mikan was killed. And knowing that he could have prevented it? That was one of the worst punishments he could possibly think of.

He could just imagine Naru's face as he would get the news. There would be pain, possibly tears from his weird sensei, but he would also get a look of sympathy that disgusted him. He knew Naru would pity him. It was in the sensei's nature, however Natsume despised being on the receiving end of that look. It made him feel weak and inferior to those who gave it. He didn't want the sympathy or the kind words. He wanted Mikan back.

Mikan. Only Mikan.

He hadn't realised that he was running until he reached his destination. The Sakura Tree.

He remembered their conversation on its branch. How she had been crying, and then suddenly so happy. It was much the same as the look she had given him right before the bomb had gone off. Reassuring and light hearted.

His head pounded in agony as he images of her came.

Smiling. *Flash* Covered with blood. *Flash* Laughing. *Flash* Her hand slipping from his and her eyes becoming dull and lifeless.

Natsume sunk to his knees beside the massive tree grabbing the sides of his head and praying that the images would stop. But they continued to flow through his mind each one bringing on a new wave of torture. Until all he could do was sit at the foot of the tree and shake violently.

He leant back against it and stared up at the lightening sky. The sun was rising, it was a bright contrast to his mood at the moment, and looking at it now, he could not help but think that it was dim in comparison to Mikan.

_Yeah, but to you, nothing compares to Mikan does it?_ A voice in his head whispered. (**A/N: Without '…' marks are the voice. With them is Natsume thinking XD)**

'_Wha- Who the fuck?' _he questioned. Having heard voices in his head before, he was not surprised, however, this one sounded suspiciously like himself…

_Nobody in particular. But it's true isn't it? To you, 'aint nothing that compares to her is there? Much more beautiful than anything else!_

'_So what?' _he spat at himself._ 'So what if she is completely amazing. I don't know. Just… Yeah' _

_Well! Wouldn't that probably mean that you're in love with her?_

'Oh shit_.' _He whispered, realising the meaning of what he had just thought. '_Crap. Fuck. I am fucking in love with Mikan Sakura. The completely stupid, polka-dot panty wearing moron. Fuck. And what makes it worse?'_

_She's fucking dead?_

'_Shit.'_

_Indeed._

And he never noticed that he was crying. Never felt the warm tears that slipped down his cheeks. There were only two. But he hadn't cried since he was five, so he had practically forgotten what it felt like to cry. He had thought he was incapable of such a thing now.

Obviously not. Not that he noticed.

* * *

><p><em>In Class 2B<em>

Narumi Anjo surveyed his students grinning, but it slipped from his face when he noticed the absence of two. Natsume and Mikan were not present. That made it a week and a day they had been absent. Persona had informed him that they were on a mission, but he had said that it should only go for one week. Now it had gone overtime, and while Natsume was a frequent skipper of classes, Mikan would never dream of missing a single one, which led him to believe that something was wrong. He had woken up with the feeling, and when he had dressed, it was only in a long-sleeved white skivvy, and black skinny jeans. No frills. He felt that today was not the day. And now the feeling was mounting.

Still, he pushed it to the back of his mind and addressed the students.

'Good morning my lovelies!' he sang loudly. They groaned. He continued regardless, 'I wish you a pleasant day to all of you. Now-' He stopped suddenly as the door was abruptly slammed open reveal Natsume. He limped in slowly and winced when his shoulder brushed the doorframe. Narumi watched as Natsume's gaze swept the room, and then turned to face Naru himself. Before he could even open his mouth there was a very loud, high-pitched squeal. Natsume visibly recoiled at the sound, and turned once again to see Luna Koizumi running at him full speed.

Before anyone could blink, Luna was on the floor, her arm twisted painfully behind her, and Natsume's foot planted firmly in between her shoulder blades.

'_**Never**_**. **Touch me_. __**Slut**__.' _He spat, twisting her arm around more and making her whimper. Narumi was about to speak when Natsume let go of her suddenly. He covered his mouth with his hand and coughed violently. So violently in fact, that he had to reach out and steady himself on Naru's front desk.

'Natsume!' Ruka cried from the back of the room, rushing forward to aid his friend. But when he reached out his hand to help, Natsume flinched as if he had been struck and knocked it away. When the whole class gasped in shock, Natsume raised his head and his eyes widened as if seeing that the person he had hit was Ruka for the first time.

'Ru...ka' he said quietly, before down casting his eyes and putting his hands behind his back, as if hiding something in them. Fortunately for Naru. Natsume's back was facing him, so when he casually placed his hands behind him, Narumi saw the blood.

'_That boy is coughing up blood!' _Naru thought astounded. His eyebrows drew together and he coughed to get the classes attention.

'Natsume. I need to speak with you, would you please come with me? Ruka-kun you may stay behind.' He said, trying to keep up the happy façade.

Ruka looked like he was about to protest, so Narumi dropped his smile. 'Please Ruka-kun?' he said. Ruka hesitated, but returned to his seat.

'Thank you. Now my brilliant class, I will not be gone for long, so try not to miss me ok?' he said, and then floated off out the door. Natsume wordlessly following at what he deemed a safe distance away.

Halfway down the corridor, Narumi turned on the unsuspecting boy behind him and grabbed his hands. Natsume struggled, trying to cover them with his sleeves, but discovered Naru was stronger than he looked.

'Natsume.' He said solemnly 'Please tell me why you would be coughing up blood, and why Mikan is not here with you.'

Narumi watched Natsume's reaction carefully, and was surprised to see the unconcealed pain in the teen's eyes.

'Let go of me Naru. If you have to know… I'm like this because I'm bleeding internally somewhere. Punctured lung by one of my broken ribs I think.' He said flatly. Narumi's lips parted in surprise but no sound came out.

'_My God…' _he thought.

'Come with me. Now.' He said, his tone hard. He led Natsume out of the junior school building, and into the teacher's quarters, until they reached his own room. He led the teen inside and closed the door. Natsume looked uncomfortable and pissed.

'Natsume, please remove your shirt and jumper.' He said instead, wanting to see the extent of the damage. Natsume eyed him suspiciously.

'Why should I, for all I know you could do something weird.' He said

'I am asking you to do this for me _nicely_, because I would like to see to what extent exactly, you are injured. Please comply, otherwise I will be forced to use my Alice to make you, and that would not be a pleasant experience for you, as I am sure you know.' Naru replied coldly.

With that threat in place, Natsume obeyed, and eventually stood in front of his sensei, shirtless.

Narumi could not stifle the gasp that escaped his lips this time. The poor boy in front of him was swathed in bandages. They were wrapped around his chest and over his shoulder, and also around one of his biceps, both his wrists and on the right arm just below his elbow.

Blood seeped into the white fabric in many places, and bruises and cuts also littered anywhere that was not covered with bandages.

Narumi would never have believed anyone to be able to stand after receiving such horrific wounds, let alone a sixteen year old. And yet here was Natsume, glaring defiantly at him through pain filled eyes, as if it was just him against the world.

'Oi! Naru, can I put my shirt back on now?' Natsume growled. Narumi nodded absently, hardly hearing him. Another question now plagued his mind. If Natsume was here, reluctantly showing his teacher his wounds. Where was Mikan? Why was she not with him?

Then the pained look in Natsume's eyes came back to him. The completely defeated posture of the normally arrogant boy.

Oh no.

No! No No No! Definitely not right? There was no way that she could be…. It just was not possible!

'Natsume… Now tell me. Where is Mikan?' Narumi faced Natsume again. Looking into the smouldering eyes, and seeing the mental torture the boy was going through was enough to make his heart sink low into the pit of his stomach.

'Dead.' Natsume replied in a monotone. 'Died on the mission with me.' He elaborated. Then walked past Naru. 'Now if you will excuse me-' 'Where are you going Natsume!' Narumi questioned. 'I have been ordered to inform the rest of the students who knew M-Mikan'

'Why on _**earth **_would you be ordered to do that?' Naru asked, disgusted with the cruelty of it.

Natsume sighed. Narumi was asking way too many questions. 'My identity was exposed, I am being punished, and I would like to get it over with.'

Narumi's eyes widened. How much crueller could Persona be? Making Natsume the one to have to inform to Mikan's friends that she was dead.

'_And what are you doing huh Naru? Are you not the teacher? Are you not the person who is supposed to take the burden from the students? You're going to let him go in there, be bombarded with questions and have to explain to them that she is not coming back?'_

'NO!' he shouted at himself, and then Natsume who was about to enter the classroom again.

'NO! Natsume do not go in there.' He said desperately, running to catch up to the teen.

'No!' He puffed, catching Natsume's arm, causing the teen to hiss in pain.

'What the hell Naru? I told you, this is my punishment. I'll take it on my own. If it weren't for me, she would be fine. When that guy jumped out of the helicopter, I just stood there. If I had gone up to her and pushed her out of the way or… or…Shit!'

The last part of that speech had surprised Naru. But he would think about it later.

'And Natsume Hyuga, now I am telling you, I am your teacher. Please let me help you. You don't have to do this. I will do it for you. Please. Don't do this to yourself. I will tell Persona that I told the class before you could. I'll make something up, just, let me help... Please.'

Natsume looked at him for a long time. Before turning away from the door and walking away. Just before he was out of earshot, Natsume said something that Narumi never thought would come out of Natsume Hyuga's mouth

'…Thanks…'

* * *

><p><em>One Month afterwards…<em>

* * *

><p>Natsume was completely silent as he slit the man's throat. He watched as the man fell silently onto the ground, before moving on to the next sentry. It was easy, this killing that he was doing. It was like it was what he was born to do, mercilessly taking other lives, and feeling nothing while doing it.<p>

He hadn't been feeling anything much lately. Towards anyone or anything. It was just emptiness. God knows he had tried. Tried to feel. Tried to feel anything. But nothing came. No remorse, not even pain when he was injured anymore. After Mikan's death, he had thrown himself completely into his missions as a D.A member, and as a result, become the academy's ultimate weapon.

He had not failed a mission since the one with Mikan. (That was considered failed because his identity got out and Mikan was killed.) And every single one he had taken on from that time had been successfully completed ahead of schedule, by himself alone. All of them, assassination missions.

Just about every one of his classmates, no all of the school was now terrified of him. He was a killing machine, and one of the only solid pieces of information he was sure of was that Persona was happy about it. At first, he had been forced back into working, but gradually he found that it was the only thing that kept his mind off Mikan. He would work practically all day, killing. Come back to the academy, think about Mikan, perhaps have a day off once every week or so, (which he spent thinking about Mikan) then go back to work and killing. He almost never slept, hardly ate anything and only spoke to Imai and Ruka.

Tonight, he was on a particularly hard job. The academy had sent out several students to kill the men who resided in the warehouse in front of him, and they had all come back battered and bleeding.

And unsuccessful.

So Persona sent Natsume. Who he was sure could finish the job. Natsume had been observing them for a whole week, and he had decided that tonight was the best time for him to strike, as they were two men short on security. He really needn't have bothered waiting for so long though, if all the guards had been this easy to take out.

He listened quietly at the door for sounds of any other guards. When none came, he looked around him for any other entrances. To his left just along the wall a bit was an open window. He moved swiftly towards it, and looked cautiously through.

The place was stacked full of shipping containers, though none had any kind of number or tag to indicate what they were holding.

'_Illegal probably.' _He reasoned. A blue light in the corner of the room caught his super sharp eyes.

A man with ruffled reddish brown hair sat at a computer. In a state of brief paranoia he was, Natsume quickly ran all the security cameras through his head. He had been here for the whole week, he was sure he had not missed a single one. And just before moving in tonight, he had (soundlessly) blown out the lenses of all of them.

He took a breath in, quadruple checked that the guy at the computer was the only one there, and hopped through the window without a sound. Pulling his small dagger out of its sheath on his belt, he took a few steps towards the man. In his mind the job was already finished, when he suddenly felt cold metal press against his neck. The man in the chair swivelled round to face him with a huge grin on his face. In his mind Natsume swore.

'So very nice to see you KuroNeko. I knew you would come tonight. I've been waiting.'

He got up and walked towards Natsume, still smiling, but now playing with an earring on his left ear.

'Now then KuroNeko, or should I perhaps say, Natsume Hyuga?' His mask was ripped from his face.

Natsume's eyes widened fractionally. This man knew his name, he had underestimated this guy, and it was proving to be fatal…

'I will now introduce myself to you, as you seem not to know me…' he said, his smile widening still.

'I am Mouri Reo.' He said, finally succeeding in pulling out his earring. 'Now, _**Sleep.'**_

Natsume was asleep before he hit the ground.

* * *

><p><strong>Chehe. There ya have it.<strong>

**Big thankies to all of chus. Readers, reviewers, the lot! XD  
>Couldnt do it without you.<strong>

**Right... Now, I am very nervous about this chapter. I was going to update sooner, but i chickened out and thought it wasnt good enough. Then, the next day. After spending 2 hours editing, re-reading, and making sure, (or trying to at least TT_TT) that this was not rushed, i have decided to post it.  
>I am still not sure its very good, but... i hope you like it.<strong>

**I tried very hard to make it worth reading, as i feel the quality of my writing has decreased... TT_TT**

**Anyways... Next chapter: FINALLY...SHE RETURNS! YAAAAYYY**

**I hate writing a depressed Natsume**** cuz Mikans not around, i look forward to explaining how exactly that happens. (even though its not very complex, probably everyone knows already =_=" **

**See chus next time, hopefully alot sooner nya~**

**~FuziCloud~**


	9. Chapter 9

**Howzit People.**

**Anyways, i thought, that giving a big thankyou to everyone was not good enough anymore, seeing as now i have over 20 reviews *dances in circles***

**So... Thankyou much to the following people**

**alicedream14 **(First reviewer! YAAAYY)

**Kafuya-chii**

**dancer48id**

**mikanXnatsumeforever**

**I'm sorry. Goodbye**

**The Burnt Jewel**

**akjupiter**

**sapphireangel09**

**Emmorgia**

**waffels**

**Maddie 123321**

**blueTyanu1**

**Katie**

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**kuroneko**

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**gakuen alice addict**

**Xxkirbylover11xX**

**Hime Nadeshiko**

**Thankyou all so much. Really. You have no idea how much i love you guys! XD**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any part (AT ALL) of Gakuen Alice.

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>'<em>Ugh.' <em>Was the first thought Natsume had when he came to.

He forced his eyes open and looked around. Not that there was much to see. He was in a grey room, with grey walls, roof, floor and a grey door. As the feeling slowly came back into his body, he came to the realisation that his ankles were bound together with heavy chains and what appeared to be leather belts.

His hands were chained to the concrete wall behind him, and the shackles were cutting into his skin. He riffled through his fuzzy memories, fishing for the reason that he was chained to a wall.

There was a man. Marron hair, who was twisting a purple earing in his ear.

_Mouri Reo…_

'_Ahh, that's right, that famous singer guy.' _Natsume thought bitterly. '_And he told me to sleep… And I did… I wonder…'_

He had heard of Alices that could make you do things… however, usually you must touch the target to get them to do what you wanted. This guy had just _ordered_ him to sleep, and his body had obeyed. The possibilities were whizzing through his head at impossible rates. Then he came upon one more logical than the rest.

'_The Voice pheromone Alice, that's it!' _It was suddenly made clear in his head, why he could feel his body shutting down, and everything becoming sluggish with every word that man had spoken. '_So he's a famous singer, with a voice Alice, isn't that kind of cheating?'_

_Is now really the time? _Dammit. That bloody voice again.

'_Go the hell away.' _Natsume growled in his head. He hadn't heard the damn thing in a month, and it chose now to come and visit?

Before it could reply, there was a turning and clicking of locks and the door was pushed open revealing Mouri Reo. From what Natsume could see behind him, there was a dimly lit staircase leading up, and turning right. But the door was hastily shut by two lackeys that were following Reo.

'Ah, Natsume, your awake I see.' Reo said, smiling at him. 'Now if you don't mind, I have some very important questions for you. You will comply won't you?'

Natsume glared at him, eyes smouldering. But his mind was whizzing.

'_What does this man want with me? I have never had any missions regarding him specifically. And yet he knows my name.'_

'Well Natsume, you might remember, I while back, you were on a mission, with a partner, your first in ages I might add, and you were attacked by a helicopter. You and that girl blew it apart, and killed all of my men, and only your partner was killed. Recall any of that?'

Reo was staring at him coldly, and Natsume was returning the favour.

'Still silent? Well let me tell you what I have brought you here for shall I? Although I hate you deeply for killing my men, my Boss wants to cut you a deal. You come with us willingly, and work for us with that amazing power you have, and we'll forgive you. Don't and I'll use my Alice on you and force you to anyway, see?'

Natsume kept on glaring at him, and in his mind was formulating the best way to deal with the mess. He had once been told by Persona, during his first days training, that if he were ever captured, with no chance of escape, he was to commit suicide. Looking around him now, that seemed to be the only thing going for him.

He tried his Alice, and found that it was blocked, most likely from another Alice, the Barrier Alice. This did not surprise him, but it presented him with the task of getting this guy to lower the barrier for just enough time to blow them all up. It wouldn't take long. Natsume knew all the right places to aim for.

An idea struck him. It would be risky, and he would only have seconds to put his plan into actions, but it was worth a shot, seeing as he could find no other way to do what he wanted to do.

'Why the fuck would I ever go with you?' He spat scathingly. This bastard was the cause for Mikan's death after all. 'You attacked my partner and I, killed her and almost me too. I will never work for you or your bastard of a boss! Of my free will or otherwise! Fuck you assholes!'

Reo looked slightly taken aback at the string of curses, but then his gaze hardened, and he smirked slightly.

'My my, hit a sore spot there did I? That girl special to you was she? Did you love her perhaps? Well that's just ridiculous isn't it, the infamous killing machine, the Black Cat, in love?' He chuckled to himself, and then turned to one of the sentries. 'Well boys, little Natsume here says he's not coming with us, Alice or no, why don't we prove him otherwise?' Yes this was it; he was going to lower the barrier.

'Shidou, lower the barrier for me will you, I need to convince this boy that we are the right way to go.'

The man called Shidou looked uncertain for a moment. ' But sir, is that really a good idea-' 'Just do it Shidou. Don't make me wait.'

'Yes sir.'

Natsume felt the barrier around him slacken and disappear, and he knew he had milliseconds to act. He focused on the man just behind Reo, who was the largest. The more bodymass he figured, the bigger the bang. He needed to take out the entire building, so as to rid the world of any more people who knew his name, and possibly the names of other agents within Gakuen Alice.

'_Sorry Ruka.' _he thought as he activated his Alice to full blast _'But I'm going to go see Mikan.'_

Someone yelled his name, and the sky exploded.

* * *

><p>The rise and fall of someone's voice alerted him to the fact that his senses remained intact. He recognised the voice immediately. He had memorised the very patterns in it after all. Well, now he knew he was dead and dreaming, because the owner of that voice was gone.<p>

'Gosh, do you think he's ok? He's been out for days. I almost died when I saw him all tied up like that.' Well that was an odd thing to say for someone who was dead. Though she had always been an idiot, some things never change, even in death, he supposed.

'Shut up idiot, he needs to rest. He's been working himself to death since you disappeared. He would have been dead in another month because of overwork I'd bet.'

Natsume's eyes flew open. Now _**that **_was a voice he would never dream of, and Imai certainly wasn't dead, so that only left…

'Oooh look Hotaru, Hotaru! His eyes are open. Natsume! NATSUME! Hey Natsume? Are you ok?'

'_God, could she get any closer?' _ Did she not realise how friggin, beautiful she was? How irresistible?

_She could be closer. _Dammit. That voice was back. _She could be kissing you._

'_Fuck off.' _He grumbled at it, and suddenly felt something cool on his forehead.

'Oh My Gosh! Hotaru get your brother in here right now, he has the biggest temperature in the history of temperatures!' She yelled, rushing over to the sink and coming back with a damp cloth. She brushed his hair aside, and placed it on his forehead.

He shivered.

It had nothing to do with the cold cloth on his head.

'Polka-dot's?' He groaned as he slowly sat up.

'Yes Natsume. Oh what are you doing, you should stay lying down you could give yourself a fever, no wait, you already have one,! Well then you could – ' _'Polka-dot's!'_

'Huh?'

'_Please _shut up. My head is gonna explode, and your blabbering is not helping.'

'Oh. Sorry Natsume, I was just…' she looked down at her feet and the rest of what she mumbled was inaudible.

Before either of them could say any more, Imai (Hotaru) and older brother Subaru Imai re-entered the room.

Mikan glomped Hotaru as soon as she walked through the door, and Natsume was surprised to see that the apathetic inventor allowed the huge hug. Subaru Imai went straight to Natsume's side and removed the cloth, to check his temperature. Then, he asked if Natsume would please remove his shirt and lie down on his back. He did so, and got increasingly annoyed as Hotaru pulled out an array of different cameras and started photographing his shirtless (and once again bandaged up) torso. She had dollar signs in her eyes.

Mikan was a different story. At first she pointedly looked away.

However, slowly, her eyes trailed over to him, her gaze sweeping over the several scars and injuries he had sustained over time. Her eyes betraying mountains of guilt.

'Turn onto your stomach now Hyuga.' Subaru ordered. He obeyed, eyes never leaving Mikan.

'_How is this possible?' _ He asked himself '_How is she is still alive?' _

'Finished Hyuga, you can put your shirt back on.' Subaru interrupted his thoughts. Natsume pulled his shirt back over his head, and sat cross legged on the hospital bed.

'So?' He asked the eldest Imai. 'How long till I'm free to go?' He had never liked hospitals.

'Honestly, in your condition? You _should _stay here for at least four more days… However, if you would like, you can be discharged tomorrow afternoon.' Natsume sighed in relief.

'But, you cannot overexert yourself, you hear? Because I don't believe that your body could handle it. No missions for at least two weeks. Understand.'

Natsume nodded.

'Good.' Subaru turned to Hotaru, who was examining her photos. 'Now Hotaru…' He suddenly swiped the camera from her hands 'You are not allowed to photograph my patients.' He said coldly, walking out of the room. Hotaru glared, and jumped onto her scooter (when the hell did that get there?) and zoomed out after him, leaving Natsume and Mikan behind in an awkward silence.

'Polka. Answers. Now.' Natsume demanded. He had to know. Right now.

Mikan sighed. 'Alright Natsume. I'll tell you, but don't interrupt, Ok?' He nodded. 'Right…'

'Well, after you left, and the medics took me to the hospital. My body went into a kind of…. Hibernation… and it shut down practically everything so it could focus on healing. It was an injection that was being developed at the AAO when I was still there. However, it was abandoned after they put it in me, and some other people as well. Why? Because it only works once. To test it, they put the first person who had been injected in a small room, chained her down, and shot at her multiple times. She was mortally wounded. But after two hours, the drug kicked in, and she healed completely. No medication what-so-ever.'

Mikan paused in her story, her shoulders shook, and when she looked Natsume in the eye's, her beautiful caramel orbs were brimming with tears. She gulped, and continued though.

'S-s-so, when they were sure she was completely healed, they woke her up… a-a-and…. S-sh-shot her again. She died. Instantly.'

Natsume stared. Mouth slightly open, and feeling terrible. Mikan was holding herself, while she shook uncontrollably. Tears were streaming down her face at a million miles an hour. Natsume cursed himself. He hadn't meant to do this….

'S-s-s-so they tried with all of the others, and the same thing happened. Some didn't even make it through the first time. But I'm only here because my last name starts with "S", and it's fairly far down in the alphabet. If it had started with "A" or something I… I…-'

She broke off with another sob.

'Oi Polka, you don't have to finish, it's fine…'

'No, I want to finish.' She said, and visibly braced herself.

'So, after my body had shut down, my life readings disappeared, all but my heart, which was beating so weakly that they were certain I would be dead within the day. But, they said I just clung to life like that for almost a whole month, when suddenly I woke up. I think it must have taken longer because the drug had go weaker or something; I don't know, but I woke up in hospital, and sat there for a couple of hours until the nurse came in to check on me, and dropped the tray she was holding because I said hello. She ran to get the doctor, and minutes later, they were both ogling me like I was an alien. I asked why, and they told me what I just told you. I was kept in hospital for a few days, but because they couldn't figure out why I was alive, I was discharged, and here I am now…'

She finished, looking at the floor intently. But her head snapped up again, and Natsume was horrified to see her eyes pooling with tears again.

Then, without warning, she leapt towards him, flung her arms around his neck, and started crying into his shoulder uncontrollably.

'B-b-but when I got back and they told me you were on a mission, and you were late back, and that everybody else who'd ever been to get this guy was either dead or nearly dead, I was so scared.' She sobbed into his neck.

'And then I got there and you were just about to- to… And you were tied up… and you blew that guy up…. And… and you , you….. I thought you were going to die Natsume, I honestly did.'

He sat there for a good ten minutes while she cried, before he hesitantly wrapping an arm round her shoulders. Then for about half an hour they sat like that, while Mikan's sobs died down.

After a time, Natsume noticed that Mikan was asleep. He sighed.

'_Jeez. How could this idiot just fall asleep on me like that?' _He thought, as he shifted her so that she was lying down.

He gazed at her beautiful sleeping form for a moment. But then lay himself down next to her.

She would probably wack him when she woke up, but he was exhausted too, and so glad about her being alive that he didn't really care much about anything else at the moment.

He let himself slowly doze of beside her. Mikan was back, so nothing else mattered.

Mikan was back.

* * *

><p><strong>So thereya go... <strong>

**yesss i know... short crappy chapter, and for the time that i have been away for, you would expect much better than that...**

**BUT DO NOT FEAR**

**the next chapters are gonna be tons better, and more interesting, and with story line and everything. So yeah**

**Leave a review... Purty Purty Pleeeeaaaasssseee**

**Luv Chu All**

**~FuziCloud~**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: ehehe. I know this is like, 4 months overdue or some shit... but... ummm. At least I got it out, right? _Right? TT_TT sorry_**

**_Disclaimer: _I only own my plot line, none of the characters. **

* * *

><p><strong>Burning Raindrops <strong>

**10**

* * *

><p>Narumi wandered down the hospital corridor, with the intention of visiting Natsume in hospital.<p>

He came to Natsume's door, and knocked politely.

No answer.

He gently pushed open the door and grinned at the sight before him.

Both Mikan and Natsume were curled up on Natsume's hospital bed, fast asleep. Mikan looked as if she had been crying; there were tear stains down her pink cheeks, and she whimpered suddenly in her sleep and huddled closer to Natsume. Naru laughed silently. He was overjoyed that Mikan was back, because he loved her like a daughter, but also because she had been such a good influence on Natsume. Since she had arrived, he had become nicer to be around, and to teach. He still did absolutely none of the work, but he answered questions every now and then, and he only missed the classes that he really detested.

Then she had "died", and Natsume had simply let himself go. It saddened Naru to think of what Natsume had become this last month. A cold and emotionless killing machine was what he was, and it was going to take a long time to improve that reputation. However, having Mikan around would definitely soften his image more than enough.

Narumi chuckled some more, and silently walked out of the room. Before pausing to shut the door behind him, he grabbed his mobile phone, [**A/N: Do they even allow mobiles in G.A? Ahhh I just realized that I already used mobiles. Oh well. Lets just say the D.A members have two per group, and teachers have one each] **and snapped a quick picture of them together. He giggled once more and shut the door.

* * *

><p><strong>One Week after Natsume is released from hospital...<strong>

* * *

><p>Natsume sighed and rubbed his temples.<p>

There had to be another way out of this right? He wasn't honestly going to be stuck here _cleaning_ with Polka and _Luna Koizumi _of all people, _right? _

_Please someone save me. _He thought desperately, while dodging a speeding Luna running at him full force. He realised his mistake as soon as he was replied to by, guess who? You got it! That voice was back!

**Sorry mate. I'm only in your head, I can't**_. _It snickered at him.

'Fuck. Of.' Natsume muttered. Mikan overheard and shot him a quizzical look.

**Trust me, **(Natsume scoffed at that.) **if I could influence the things you do, or the things other people do, you and Mikan-sama would be-**

_Ooookay! Hold that thought right there you perverted bastard! 1. Do NOT call Polka-dots… what you just called her, ever again! And 2. Will you stop with the sick comments already? It's my fucking head that these conversations go on in!_

**Well if you would just grow a spine and **_**tell **_**her!**

_Hn._

…**Wow… that was… responsive?**

_Hn_

… **Hn!**

_Hn_

… **aghrr! Whatever!**

_Finally. Some peace and quiet! _Natsume sighed.

It is probably worth explaining, that over the past couple of days, Natsume's – weird inner voice thingie– had been becoming increasingly _perverted. _It could relate anything he thought back to Mikan, and then continue to turn it into something… he'd prefer not to think about.  
>Sometimes, after a particularly indecent conversation with his inner, (well usually it takes two people to partake in a conversation, so you can hardly call it that, but anywho…) he could not manage to even look Mikan in the eyes. This lead to her believing that he was ignoring her, and she would often run off upset. Then, when he saw her next, she would run up to him and apologise – which he found odd; should he not be the one apologising to her? He would once again, be unable to meet her gaze, and the cycle would start again.<p>

So, naturally, being stuck with Mikan, and on top of that, the Ultra-Slut herself (Luna, if you were wondering) was not making Natsume's day the best it could be.

* * *

><p>Mikan heard Natsume mutter a 'Fuck Off' at thin air and looked at him quizzically. When he just continued to brood, she looked sadly away.<p>

She had thought that they had been getting along great, but recently… She didn't know anymore. He still just 'Hn'd at most things that she said, and expertly avoided looking her in the eyes.

She began to wonder, as she absent-mindedly swept the floor with a broom she didn't remember finding.

Did he think differently about her now that he knew of her past? Did he feel sick just looking at her? Was he disgusted by the sight of her?  
>She felt her eyes begin to water at the thought of Natsume hating her. She blinked at the floor trying to un-blur her vision.<p>

'Excuse me for a second Koizumi-san, Natsume. I am just going outside for a bit. I don't feel well.' She excused as she stepped out of the room, dropping the broom down next to her as she lent against the wall. Not that it mattered to them. If Natsume did indeed hate her, (Luna definitely did, no need to give that much thought…) they wouldn't care if she had gone outside to stick a sword in her neck.

Mikan sniffled, the tears threatening to spill over now. She was a highly skilled, well trained human weapon for God's sake! Why did the thought of one boy hating her bring her to tears, when really, if she thought about it logically, what difference would it make? It would be just one more person wouldn't it?

No.

...

It would make so, so much difference. To everything.

...

Natsume hating her would be the end of her world, now that she thought about it properly. She loved him like nothing else, and for him to hate her…

She clasped a hand over her mouth as the tears flowed freely. She clutched at her uniform over where her heart was, and sobbed. God she was doing a lot of crying lately, but she could not cope with this. So she sobbed and sobbed.

_It hurts! _She screamed in her head. It felt as if someone had ripped her heart out, and then poured acid on the wounds. She slowly slid down the wall till she was on the ground. 'Stop it.' She whispered.

'Please stop it.'

'Polka-dots?'

Mikan froze when he spoke.

_Natsume? _

'Oi! Polka?'

He sounded… very close to her. Very, very close. She slowly lifted her head, and was surprised to see him crouched down in front of her, so close that had she leant forward, she could have rested her forehead on his. She sniffled and buried her head in her hands.

'Do you hate me Natsume?' She mumbled. She heard him sigh.

_Oh my God! _She thought despairingly. _He really does hate me!_

She heard a rustling of clothes. Then there was a loud_ 'thwak'_ and a sharp pain on her forehead.

She snapped her head up to see a smirking Natsume looking down at her. His hand was still out-stretched, millimetres away from her face. He had flicked her. Hard.

'No Polka-dot's, I don't hate you.' He said casually. 'Do tell me, what the hell gave you that idea?'

'You… don't?' She squeaked. He shook his head at her and raised an eyebrow. Mikan's eyes filled with tears again. However, she was also grinning like there was no tomorrow. Natsume's eyebrows now both disappeared into his fringe.

_This girl is crazy. First she's in the hallway crying her eyes out, and when I find her, she stops crying asks me if I hate her. Now she is smiling like an idiot, and crying again. At the same time!_

He was interrupted from his thoughts, however when he was bowled over by a laughing Mikan. She had jumped up, flung her arms around his neck, and caused him to topple over backwards. Now she was sitting on his stomach giggling, and still ever so slightly crying.

He sighed, propping himself up on his elbows.

'Oi. What the hell is your problem, Polka-dots? I'm getting the distinct impression that you're crazy here.'

She smiled down at him, still giggling. Then she shook her head.

'I'm not crazy, promise! It's just that I'm so happy! Have you never cried with happiness Natsume?' She asked, tilting her head in a very (cute) annoying way.

'Nope.' He replied truthfully. He could never remember crying because he was happy before. Heck, he couldn't even remember the last time he'd cried.

'Ohh.' Mikan said, pouting. Then, there was a sound like static in her head. It buzzed quietly on and off. And even though she had heard it more than a hundred times before, it still took her some time to realize what it was.

She was being contacted via her telepathy Alice.

_'Haineko. What have you been doing, may I ask? I have been trying to contact you for 10 minutes now.' _

_Oops. She thought guiltily._

'_Sorry Persona-sensei…' _

'Hmm. What's important right now is that you and KuroNeko are required out the front of the ESP's office now for a debriefing of your mission.'

'_But…' _She broke off as she realized that Persona had already terminated the connection. She gave a long drawn out sigh.

'What _now _Polka-dot's? You going back to being depressed after that little episode?' Natsume's husky voice penetrated her thoughts.

_Ooops again. I forgot about Natsume._

**Ya forgot about someone you're in love with and sitting on? Wow… that's just… wow. **That voice she had been hearing butted in.

_Shut up! I'm not in l-l-l-love with Natsume-baka! That's just dumb. And I didn't mean to forget about him, I just…_

**You keep telling yourself that girl. You keep telling yourself that.**

* * *

><p><em><span>.:: Meanwhile outside Mikan's conversation with herself ::.<span>_

* * *

><p>Mikan's eye's glazed over again, and Natsume was left with an out-of-it girl sitting on his stomach for the umpteenth time that day. He groaned. As enjoyable as it was, it was also extremely uncomfortable.<p>

'Oi Polka!' He grumbled. No response

'For fucks sake, POLKA-DOTTS! As much as it's nice to know how good a pillow I am, I'm really starting to get sore from lying here like this, so do ya 'reckon you could get the hell off me now!'

She finally seemed to register his voice, for she promptly turned bright crimson, jumped off him, stood up and stepped backwards onto the head of the broom which had been lying on the ground. It flipped up and whacked her hard on the back of the head, and she fell over in surprise clutching her head. He snickered at her misfortune and she lifted her head to glare at him.

'Oooooowww!' She moaned, pulling herself into a sitting position, and bringing her legs up under her chin. 'Don't laugh.'

He continued to smirk at her, but extended a hand to help her up anyway. She took it grudgingly and he pulled her to her feet effortlessly. _God she weighs nothing. _ He thought.

'So, what was that about?' He asked. She had looked pretty weird for a second there, and he was curious as to what had gone on inside her head. She continued to look affronted for a moment, before sighing and turning away.

'Persona contacted me via telepathy Alice. He needs us outside the principal's office now. We have a mission.' She grumbled, still rubbing her head. 'And what was that for? You didn't need to yell at me, I wasn't going to sit… on… you…The whole day.' She lowered her eyes and looked at her feet. _Gosh that was embarrassing. Why did I jump up and end up sitting on him anyway. That was so stupid! _She mentally bonked herself on the head a few times to clear it. Then she put on a smile and turned back to Natsume.

'Well, whatever! We have a mission now, and Persona will be mad at us if we keep him waiting, so lets go!' She said brightly, and before she knew what she was doing, she had grabbed his hand, and was pulling him through the corridor, in the direction of the Principals Building.

Natsume was reminded of the first day she had come to class. He had left and she had come looking for him, and ended up dragging him all the way back to class. He let a smile show for a moment as he was pulled relentlessly along, though there was a nagging in the back of his mind.

_What kind of mission does that bastard want us to do now?_

* * *

><p><strong>.::. O_O_O_O_O .::.<strong>

* * *

><p>Mikan and Natsume stood silently out the front of the Principals office, masks and uniforms in place. They could hear muffled voices from inside the room, but could not make out specific words.<p>

Natsume was getting agitated. They'd been here for over half an hour now, and nobody had come to brief them.

'Perhaps what they're discussing in there is too important to be postponed. You never know.' Mikan said calmly, noticing his sour mood.

'Yeah well whatever the fuck it is, they'd better hurry up because I'm leaving in ten minutes.' He decided.

As if on cue, the double doors in front of them that had stayed annoyingly shut for the past 30 minutes swung noiselessly open. Persona stood between them and beckoned them in. From where they were standing, his form blocked the view of what was inside, so neither of them were any the wiser as they stepped into the large posh office. Persona finally moved to shut the door and they were greeted with a vaguely familiar sight.

There was a man sitting behind a desk directly in front of them (who Mikan assumed to be the principal), and to the left stood another, slightly older man in a suit. There was something standing behind the man too, though his slightly pudgy legs and stomach obstructed their view of what it was.

'Ahhh! KuroNeko and Haineko! Welcome!' The principal said joyfully. 'I apologise for calling you both out here, but our man here wanted only the best. KuroNeko Haineko, meet-'

'Mr Hijiri.' Natsume said flatly, and Mikan let out a startled gasp. Of course, how could she forget? Mr Hijiri was the man they had been hired to guard for her first mission. Him and…

'Ah good KuroNeko, you do remember. Well then, you should also remember Mr Hijiri's son Youichii, yes?'

Natsume and Mikan nodded affirmatively, and Youichii stepped out from behind his father to stare impassively at them.

'Good, very good. Well then, I am happy to inform you that the young Hijiri heir is joining our academy, and your D.A class.' He smiled sickly at them, and Mikan poked her tongue out at him from behind her mask.

_How could he ask an eight year old to join the Dangerous Abilities? That's cruel beyond belief. _She thought angrily.

'So I thought that you two could take him out, show him what you do, and show him the ropes? That way he'll learn quickly, and master his Alice quickly too.' The principal continued.

'Yes Sir.' Natsume said emotionlessly.

'Very good. Well then, why don't you take him outside while we finish the deal hm? Take him to the D.A room, and get him to show you his Alice, and show him yours.'

'Yes Sir.' They replied in unison.

Mr Hijiri bent down and ruffled his sons silver hair. 'See you soon kid.' He said affectionately. 'I'll come and visit, and you can write all the time. Ok?'

'Yes papa. Goodbye.' Youichii mumbled, and then was pushed gently over to Mikan and Natsume. Mikan grabbed his hand an lead him out into the corridor.

Mikan squatted down once the door closed behind them and pulled off her mask.

'Hey Youichii, do you remember us?' She asked, and he nodded.

'Cool, well, now that you're part of D.A, you can call me Mikan. That guy over there,' she gestured to Natsume, who had also taken his mask off to reveal a scowl on his face. 'is Natsume. He looks really mean, but he's actually quite nice once you get to know him 'kay?' She said sweetly.

Natsume gave a half-hearted 'oi' in her direction at her description of him, but said nothing more. Youichii nodded subduedly at her words, not lifting his gaze to even look at Natsume. His hands were balled into fists, and suddenly Mikan noticed they were shaking.

'Hey, Youichii, you alright?' She asked worriedly. He glared at the ground for a moment more before finally looking up into her eyes. His eyebrows were drawn tightly together, and his eyes were shining, wet with unshed tears. He stared at Mikan, bottom lip wobbling treacherously for a moment, and then suddenly, he burst into tears. He jumped forward and latched onto Mikan, holding her in death grip, and she gently, slowly reached her arms around his small frame. She threaded her fingers through his soft hair, and murmured soft incoherent things to him. She cradled the small boy in her arms in the middle of the hallway, trying, in every possible way, to express to him that everything would be alright.

'It's okay to cry, Youichii. Let it all out. Everything's going to be just fine.'

* * *

><p><strong>Well, there it is. <strong>

**Hn... Yeah, I know Natsume's inner seems OOC, but that's what it's supposed to seem. It is the embodiment of all the things that Natsume thinks, but doesn't show. Same with Mikan's one. **

**Once again, big thankyou to all Revewers:**

**alicedream14**

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**And Extra Special Super Thank you to:**

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**(for supa ninja skills, a****mongst ****other things ;)**

**Love You all! **

**~FuziCloud~**


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